Borda House, Mexico City facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Borda House
Casa Borda
Facade of the Borda House
General information
Architectural style	New Spanish Baroque
Construction started	1775
Client	José de la Borda
Design and construction
Architect	Francisco Antonio Guerrero y Torres

The Borda House is a famous building in the historic center of Mexico City. It was once owned by José de la Borda, a very rich Frenchman from the 1700s. This house stands out because of its amazing stone carvings and unique design. It used to cover an entire city block! Imagine a house so big. It even had a special balcony that went all the way around the building.

The Original Grand Mansion

This huge mansion was built as a special gift for José de la Borda's wife, Teresa Verdugo y Aragonés. He wanted it to be even grander than the home of Hernán Cortés, a famous Spanish conqueror. The house was built by Francisco Antonio Guerrero y Torres, a very well-known architect of that time.

Building Design and Materials

The original Borda House was truly massive. It took up a whole city block. It had three floors and was built with red tezontle rock and grey-white sandstone. Near the main entrance, there was a large statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe in a special spot. The building also had iron railings on the second and third floors that wrapped around the entire structure.

Inside the Borda House

The inside of the mansion was just as impressive as the outside. It had a huge library, four dining rooms, and 25 bedrooms. There were also three kitchens, two stables for horses, and two chapels for prayer. Every room was decorated with beautiful carpets, fancy curtains, paintings, and expensive porcelain. There were also many clocks, sculptures, and richly carved furniture.

The Borda House Today

Over many years, the original Borda House was divided into smaller parts. Most of it was even torn down. Today, only five sections remain, but four of these still have the original front and double balcony.

Changes Over Time

One part of the building, at 28 Bolivar Street, now houses the Hotel Coliseo. Its front looks like it's from the early 1900s, but the inner parts are still from the original Borda House. In the early 20th century, another section at 33 Madero Street became the Salón Rojo. This was one of the first movie houses in Mexico City and even had an electric escalator! Later, it was a fancy carpet store and then a post office.

Preserving History

In the late 1900s, a bank bought part of the building. They used it as the Serfin Museum for a while. This museum showed off old clothing from Mexico's native people and colonial times. It even had a special guide to explain the meanings of different embroidery designs. This museum is now closed. The section at 26 Bolivar Street is the only part that still has all its original 18th-century interiors. It was once home to the Harem Baths, and you can still see a tile picture of Neptune there. In the early 2000s, this part of the house was fully restored by the Yturbe family, helping to save its history.

See also

In Spanish: Casa Borda para niños