Palace of Cortés, Cuernavaca facts for kids
The Palace of Cortés (in Spanish: Palacio de Cortés) is a very old building in Cuernavaca, Mexico. It was built between 1523 and 1528, making it the oldest government-related building from the time Spain ruled the Americas that is still standing. The building mixes two old styles of architecture: Gothic and Mudéjar.
It started as a strong home for the Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés and his wife, Doña Juana Zúñiga. It was built in 1526 on top of a place where the Aztec people, called Tlahuica, used to collect taxes. The Spanish destroyed the original building during their conquest. Cortés built his palace there to show his power over the newly conquered people.
The palace was most important as Cortés's home in the 1530s. However, his family eventually left it because of legal problems. Later, in the 1700s, the Spanish colonial government fixed it up and used it as a place for soldiers and a prison. During the Mexican War of Independence, important prisoners like José María Morelos y Pavón were held there.
After the war, it became the main government building for the state of Morelos. In the late 1900s, the state government moved out. The building was then fixed up and turned into a museum called the Museo Regional Cuauhnahuac.
The palace was badly damaged by an earthquake in 2017. It was closed for repairs until March 30, 2023. Now, it has reopened as the Museo Regional de los Pueblos de Morelos, which means the Regional Museum of the People of Morelos.
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History of the Palace
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Before the palace was built, there was a place on this spot where people collected taxes. First, the Tlahuican rulers used it, and then the Aztecs took over in the 1400s.
In 1526, soon after the Spanish took over the Aztec Empire, the conquistador Hernando Cortés had the old building destroyed. He then built a palace for himself in its place. Cortés chose Cuernavaca for his home because the land around it was very fertile.
The first palace was much smaller than the building you see today. The middle part of the current building, with its arched balconies, is from Cortés's original construction. It was built like a fortress with thick walls and other defenses. It even had its own storage for weapons like guns and cannons.
Most of the building was used as a home. It had a mill, stables for horses, gardens, and ovens. The main part of the palace had two sections with arches on two levels. Living areas were built on the north and south sides. A watchtower was added when Cortés became the Captain General and Governor of New Spain. Cortés made sure his home was very fancy, with tapestries on the walls and religious items made of gold and silver in the chapel.
Cortés needed protection because the newly conquered people sometimes attacked. During one visit, Tlahuican warriors tried to kill him. This attack is a true story. A later legend says Cortés escaped by jumping a five-meter-wide gap on his horse, Rucio.
Cortés brought his second wife, Doña Juana de Zúñiga, to live at the palace. She stayed there even after Cortés died in 1547. Their son and heir, Don Martín Cortés, 2nd Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca, was born in this palace.
However, Cortés himself did not spend much time here. After the conquest, he was busy organizing trips, building ships, and visiting his lands. He also successfully brought new crops like sugar cane to the area. Cortés had three large farms near Cuernavaca and often stayed at one of them, especially Atlacomulco.
The palace was most important as Cortés's home in the 1530s, when he visited often. The first time it was made bigger was between 1531 and 1535. This was when Cuernavaca became the main administrative center for Cortés's lands. In 1540, Cortés went to Spain but could not return to Mexico. He died in Spain in 1547.
After Cortés died, his son Don Martin inherited the palace. From 1629 to 1747, the family slowly stopped using it. The building was then used for different businesses, like making iron, tanning leather, and weaving textiles. In the mid-1700s, the colonial government ordered the old building to be fixed up. After the repairs, it was used as a place for soldiers and a prison.
During the Mexican War of Independence, famous prisoners like José María Morelos y Pavon and Ignacio López Rayón were kept in the old palace. The mayors of Cuernavaca might have also used part of the building as their official home.
In 1855, the palace was where the temporary government of Mexican liberal Juan Álvarez was located. He was fighting against conservative Antonio López de Santa Anna. From 1864 to 1866, it was a summer home for Emperor Maximilian, who often visited Cuernavaca. In 1872, the palace became the main government building for the state of Morelos.
In the same year, Governor Francisco Leyva made the north end bigger. He also had the stairwell and other areas redone in a popular French style. The palace remained the state government's home for about 100 years.
Over time, and after some earthquakes, the palace needed more repairs in the late 1800s and early 1900s. A tall, round tower on the northwest corner, which is now a famous part of the palace, was added during this time. More repairs were made in the late 1920s. In 1930, Diego Rivera finished painting the large murals that decorate the second floor. In 1949, a new section for offices was added.
Between 1971 and 1973, a special department worked to bring back the original look of the 1500s palace. They used old building methods and studied the ancient parts of the building. Modern materials were used to make some sections stronger.
The Museum Inside
After being fixed up in the 1970s, the building became the Museo Regional Cuauhnahuac. On March 30, 2023, it reopened as the new Museo Regional de Los Pueblos de Morelos. This museum is one of many regional museums in Mexico. They teach about local history and how the region played a part in Mexico's past. This museum is both a history and an archeology museum. This is because of the items it holds, the old building it is in, and the ancient site it sits on.
The museum has nineteen rooms filled with objects from the history of the state of Morelos. These objects show the story from the first human settlers to today. Many rooms are about very old times, before the Spanish arrived. You can see things like mammoth fossils, maps of ancient migrations, and old pottery and stone tools.
The most important ancient site from Morelos shown here is Xochicalco. However, there are also items from most of the Tlahuicas and Mexicas (Aztecs) sites in the state. There are fewer rooms about the colonial period. These rooms have religious items, things related to Hernán Cortés, and items about trade between Mexico and Asia.
The exhibits about the time after Mexico's independence mostly show how large farms, especially sugar cane farms, continued to operate. This includes the time of Porfirio Díaz and the Mexican Revolution. There are also exhibits about modern-day Morelos, focusing on local crafts and traditions.
On the second floor, you can see a large mural painted by Diego Rivera in 1930. It is called the History of Morelos, Conquest and Revolution. This mural was restored and protected in the 1990s. In the old Congress Hall, there are also artworks by Salvador Tarajona from 1938.
The Colonial Building's Look
The palace is on a hill in the middle of the city. It was built over the ruins of an ancient "tlatlocayacalli." This was a place where taxes were collected, first by the Tlahuica rulers and then by the Aztecs. The Spanish often built their important buildings on top of native structures they had destroyed. However, most Spanish buildings were churches. This palace is one of the few government buildings built this way. The first building was small, with four rooms around a courtyard and arches. It was designed like the Alcázar de Colón in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
Today, the larger building belongs to the Mexican government. It is in good condition, even though it is almost 500 years old. It is the oldest preserved colonial-era government building in Mexico. The building is made of local stone, using the old native structure as its base. It has defensive features like merlons, which were common for buildings of that time. There is a round tower on the northwest corner, but this was added later, in the late 1800s. Some local stories say there are secret underground passages between the palace and the cathedral. However, none have been found, and similar stories are common in other parts of Mexico with large old buildings.
The Ancient Site Below
The ancient site of the Palace of Cortés extends from under the palace itself to the city's main square. The palace was built over a "tlatlocayacalli," which was a place where tribute (taxes) was collected. This was first done by the Tlahuica rulers of the area and later by the Aztecs. This tribute house was probably very large and fancy because the city-state was powerful back then. Because it was a symbol of power, the Spanish destroyed it and built their own structure there.
You can best see parts of the old Tlahuica/Aztec structure in front of the current palace and in its courtyards. It is one of the few Aztec-era palaces that archeologists have dug up. However, not much of the original building remains after Cortés destroyed it.
When the palace was renovated in the 1970s, archeologists did work around and under the building. They dug in specific spots and found various old walls, floors, burials, and other things from the Tlahuica time to the colonial period. The best-preserved areas are in front of the building and in the inner courtyards. Important items were found from the Teopanzolco period, which were under those from the Aztec period. Both of these are covered by the colonial-era building. These findings helped archeologists understand the timeline of the Tlahuica period in Cuernavaca. Since then, more digs have uncovered even more ruins.
See also
In Spanish: Palacio de Cortés para niños
- List of oldest buildings in the Americas
