House of the First Print Shop in the Americas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids House of the First Printing Press in the Americas |
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Casa de la Primera Imprenta de América
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The house in 2008
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Mexico City |
| Country | Mexico |
| Completed | 1524 |
| Owner | Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana |
The House of the First Printing Press in the Americas (Spanish: Casa de la Primera Imprenta de América) is a very important building in Mexico City. It was the first place in the New World (North and South America) where books were printed!
A printer named Juan Pablos worked here. He printed at least 35 books between 1539 and 1560. The very first book printed in the Americas came from this house in 1539.
Contents
Building History
This house was built in 1524 by Gerónimo de Aguilar. It stands near where the Templo Mayor once was. The Templo Mayor was a sacred place for the Aztecs before the Spanish arrived.
The First Printing Press
In 1539, the Spanish king Carlos V and Archbishop Juan de Zumárraga of Mexico City gave permission for a printing press to come to the Americas. This special machine was brought from Europe.
The press was set up in this house, which was then called the "Casa de las Campanas" (House of the Bells). A publisher from Seville, Juan Cromberger, helped set it up. An Italian printer, Juan Pablos, worked there for ten years. They started printing documents for the government and the Church. One of the first books was a catechism. It was called Breve y más compendiosa doctrina christiana en lengua mexicana y castellana. This book was written by Archbishop Zumárraga himself.
Later Owners and Uses
After being a print shop, the house had many different owners and uses. In the 1600s, it belonged to a monastery. In the 1700s, it was owned by a military order.
In 1847, soldiers from the United States took over the house. They destroyed many old records that were kept inside. After that, different people owned the house. One owner even used it to store furniture!
In the 1900s, the building was mostly used for offices. It was even home to a paper and printing company called "Imprenta y Papelería Militar 'Marte'." The house kept changing hands until 1989. That year, the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) bought it. They wanted to fix it up and bring it back to life.
Discoveries During Restoration
The UAM worked with experts to restore the house. During this work, they found something amazing! About 82 centimeters (about 32 inches) below the ground floor, they discovered a stone serpent head. This head was from Aztec times. It's possible that people living in the house in the 1500s and 1600s could see this ancient carving.
The House Today
Today, the House of the First Printing Press is a center for continuing education for UAM. It has many rooms for exhibits. There is also a bookstore and places for meetings and classes. In 2008, a Book Museum opened here. You can see some of Mexico's oldest books on display.
See also
In Spanish: Casa de la Primera Imprenta de América para niños
- List of colonial non-religious buildings in Mexico City
