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 |
|
|---|---|
|
Casa de la Primera Imprenta de América
|
|
The house in 2008
|
|
| 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 stands at the corner of Moneda and Licenciado Primo Verdad streets. This house was once home to the very first printing press in the New World.
A printer named Juan Pablos worked here. He printed at least 35 books between 1539 and 1560. The first book printed in the Americas came from this very print shop.
Contents
History of the House
The house was built in 1524 by Gerónimo de Aguilar. It was located near the sacred area of the Templo Mayor. This was before the Spanish Conquest.
The First Printing Press
In 1539, a printing press arrived from Europe. This happened after the Spanish king Carlos V and Archbishop Juan de Zumárraga of Mexico City gave their permission. The press was set up in this house. Back then, it was called the "Casa de las Campanas" (House of the Bells).
A publisher from Seville, Juan Cromberger, brought the press. He worked with an Italian printer named Juan Pablos. Juan Pablos worked for ten years just for his living expenses. They started printing documents for the government and the Church. One important document was a catechism. It was called Breve y más compendiosa doctrina christiana en lengua mexicana y castellana. This book was written by the archbishop himself.
Changes Over Time
After being a print shop, the house had many different owners and uses. In the 1600s, it belonged to a monastery. Later, in the 1700s, it was owned by a royal military group.
In 1847, soldiers from the U.S. occupied the house. They unfortunately destroyed many old records kept inside. After that, many different people owned the house. One owner even used it to store furniture. In the 1900s, the building was mostly used for offices. It even housed a paper and printing business.
The house kept changing hands until 1989. That year, the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) bought it. They wanted to restore the historic building.
Restoration and Discoveries
UAM worked with a special program to restore the Historic Center. They also worked with the National Institute of Anthropology. During the restoration, something amazing was found. 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 have seen this serpent head.
The House Today
Today, the house is a busy place. It serves as the Continuing Education Center for UAM. It has several rooms for exhibitions. There is also a bookstore and places for conferences and classes. In 2008, the Book Museum opened here. It displays some of the oldest books in Mexico.
See also
In Spanish: Casa de la Primera Imprenta de América para niños
