Museum of Mexico City facts for kids
The Museum of Mexico City (Museo de la Ciudad de México) is a cool place to visit! It's located at Pino Suarez 30, just a few blocks south of the Zocalo main square. This spot is special because it's near where the famous explorer Hernán Cortés and the Aztec emperor Moctezuma II first met.
The building itself used to be a grand palace. It belonged to the Counts of Santiago de Calimaya, who were descendants of one of Cortés's companions. The palace was rebuilt and changed a lot over time, looking much like it does today. The family lived there until 1960, when the Mexico City government bought it. They turned it into the museum we see now.
Inside the museum, you can explore parts of the old palace. There are also 26 rooms that tell the story of Mexico City. You can learn about its history from the ancient Aztec times all the way to today. The museum also has a library and the art studios of a painter named Joaquín Clausell. He lived in this very building in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The palace was finished in 1779 by architect Francisco Antonio de Guerrero y Torres.
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History of the Palace: From Home to Museum
The story of this old palace began in 1527. That's when a man named Mr. Juan Gutiérrez Altamirano arrived in New Spain (what Mexico was called then). He came from Cuba to work for Hernán Cortés.
Cortés gave land near the main Aztec temple (Templo Mayor) to his friends and helpers. Juan Gutiérrez Altamirano received the land where the museum stands today. He had just married Juana Altamirano Pizarro, who was Cortés's cousin. The first house built here was like a "fortress-house." It was a strong, rectangular building with three floors, like a small castle.
Later, the family received a special noble title: "Counts of Santiago de Calimaya." They were called "Santiago" because they honored Saint James the Great, a Spanish saint. "Calimaya" was the name of a town given to them, which made them very wealthy. The title was given to Don Fernando Altamirano y Velasco in 1616 by Philip III of Spain. His family used this title for fourteen generations!
The family became very rich and important. But the old house got damaged by earthquakes and floods. So, the seventh count decided to rebuild it completely. This happened around the time of the Bourbon reforms. These were new rules from Spain that meant the king took more control, and noble families sometimes lost property. The counts faced money problems, but because they were nobles, they got permission to tax their lands. This helped them pay for the new palace.
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The palace was rebuilt between 1776 and 1779. The builder was Francisco Antonio de Guerrero y Torres, who also built other important buildings. In those days, Pino Suárez street (then called Iztapalapa road) was a very fashionable street for noble families. Their houses lined up with the Royal Palace. The outside of the palace was covered in red tezontle stone, and the doors and windows were made of gray quarry stone.
During this rebuilding, an amazing discovery was made: an ancient Aztec serpent's head! It was probably found when they were digging for the new foundation. This head became a special part of the building's corner. The whole renovation cost a lot of money, about 130,000 pesos. A private chapel was also added to the palace between 1778 and 1779. Rich families often had their own chapels because it was common to go to Mass daily, but upper-class women usually weren't allowed to walk on the streets to church.
The family lived in the house until 1964. This was very unusual, as most noble families had left their palaces much earlier. The Cervantes family, who were descendants of the counts, had to sell it to the Mexico City government. The government then decided to turn the palace into a museum.
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The palace in 1920.
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Main door of the Palace in 1920.
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Chapel of the Palace in 1920.
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The courtyard in 1920.
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Fountain of the palace in 1920.
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Exploring the Palace's Design
In colonial times, this palace was one of the most fancy in New Spain. It covers a huge area, about 2,762 square meters! It has strong stone foundations and thick walls. The outside is covered in red tezontle stone. The main entrance and balcony are made of gray-white stone called cantera. You can also see cool designs called friezes made of basalt stone.
The main entrance is in the Baroque style, with four clawed feet and interesting faces called mascarons. Look up, and you'll see cannon-shaped gargoyles! These could actually fire, but only if the city allowed it. The palace's current look is from the late 1700s, and it was one of the last big Baroque buildings in Mexico. One of the most unique parts is the Aztec serpent's head on the corner. It was probably found during the rebuilding and placed there. People think it might have come from the Templo Mayor itself!
Inside, the palace has two floors and two courtyards, which was common for noble homes in Mexico. The family's special symbol, their coat-of-arms, decorates the arches of the main courtyard. A special feature is the shell-shaped fountain in the main courtyard. It looks old and is very close to the windows, suggesting it was there even before the 1700s remodeling. The fountain has a statue of a Nereid (a sea nymph) playing a guitar. Maybe the sea theme reminds us of the Counts' sea trips to places like the Philippines.
The house used to have its own chapel, but only parts of its outside walls remain today. One room that is still almost exactly as it was is the music room. In the 1800s, playing music was a daily activity for rich families. They enjoyed music by European composers like Franz Schubert, Chopin, Beethoven, and Liszt. But they also played music by Mexican composers like Tomás León. Music rooms were important to show how cultured a family was.
The main staircase is in the main courtyard, across from the mermaid fountain. The dogs on the stair railing and the faces above the main door look a bit like art from Asia. Because of this, some people thought the wood and workers might have come from the Philippines. However, both the wood and the craftsmanship are actually from Mexico, even if the wood is a bit rare.
The Museum of Mexico City Today
From the late 1800s through most of the 1900s, this part of Mexico City became less fancy. The palace was even rented out to many different families, becoming like apartments. By the late 1950s, it was a crowded tenement building, even though it had been declared a national monument in 1931. In 1960, the Mexico City government bought the building from the Counts' descendants.
The city decided to turn it into a museum. They hired an architect named Pedro Ramirez Vazques to remodel it, changing the old rooms into exhibition halls. In 1964, the Museum of Mexico City opened! It focused on what Mexico City was like and what it hoped to become. However, by 1992, the museum was not doing well. It closed, and there were ideas to turn it into a hotel for city guests, but that never happened.
In 1997, the Museum was reorganized and reopened. Now, it focuses on the past, present, and future of Mexico City. It works with other big museums like the Museo Nacional de Antropología (National Museum of Anthropology).
The museum has 26 rooms that show how Mexico City has changed over time. The permanent collection is divided into different periods:
- Pre-Hispanic period: This room has objects from Aztec times, like grinding stones (metates), jars, bowls, and even ancient books called Aztec codices. These show what daily life was like back then.
- Colonial period (16th to 18th century): Here you'll find everyday items from this time, like furniture, desks, and vases, as well as sculptures and paintings.
- 19th and 20th centuries: These rooms also display items from daily life, art, and furniture from these more recent periods.
The art studio of painter Joaquín Clausell is on the upper floor. He lived there because he was married to Angela Cervantes, a descendant of the Counts. Clausell welcomed many famous artists and writers to his studio, like Diego Rivera. The rooms hold 1,300 sketches by Clausell. These include portraits, images of angels, animals, and scenes from myths. His work shows influences from Impressionism and Symbolism. You can even see small figures he painted just to clean his brushes! His works are shown here through an agreement with the Museo Nacional de Arte, so the art changes every two months.
The Jaime Torres Bodet Library inside the museum has about 10,000 books. Most of them are about Mexico City. The collection includes old newspapers from the 1800s, city maps, and original copies of city laws. It's a great place to learn about the city's history.
The museum also has temporary exhibits, educational programs for kids and adults, a room about the river system in the Valley of Mexico, a bookstore, and guided tours. Recently, they had an event called "Beats & Bits" about the history of electronic music. Another exhibit showed Mexican wrestling (lucha libre) with photos and costumes!
In 1999, the mayor of Mexico City at the time, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano, gave the keys of the city to Pope John Paul II right here at the museum.
See also
In Spanish: Museo de la Ciudad de México para niños
- List of colonial non-religious buildings in Mexico City
