Palacio de la Autonomía facts for kids
The Palacio de la Autonomía (which means Autonomy Palace) is a special building in Mexico City. It is now a museum. This palace is famous because the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), a big university, became independent here in 1929. This meant the government could no longer directly control what the university taught.
The building itself is quite old, built in the late 1800s. It stands near the Santa Teresa la Antigua church and the ancient Templo Mayor. This spot has a history of over 500 years! It was once part of the land given by Hernán Cortés after the Spanish conquest. The current palace was built for President Porfirio Díaz. Later, in 1910, it was given to the university. Over the years, it has been home to different schools, like a dental school. Today, it is the Museo de la Autonomía Universitaria, or the University Autonomy Museum.
Contents
What Does the Autonomy Palace Look Like?
This building was built when Porfirio Díaz was president of Mexico. It is now part of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. The building has a mix of different architectural styles. It is made of white stone brought from Pachuca. The front of the building has a special triangular shape called a pediment. This pediment is decorated with carvings and leaf designs. Part of the building's base sits on an old wall. This wall used to surround the sacred area of the Templo Mayor, an ancient Aztec temple.
A Long History of the Palace
The land where the palace stands has a history of more than 500 years. After the Spanish conquered the Aztec Empire, Hernán Cortés gave out different parts of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. This specific area was given to Luis de Rivera. He was the first person in charge of the Casa de Moneda, which was where coins were made in New Spain.
Later, this area became part of the Santa Teresa la Antigua convent. After the convent closed due to the Reform Laws, the buildings here became homes. The government of President Porfirio Díaz then bought this property. They built the current palace in the early 1900s. In 1910, it became the Escuela Normal de Maestros (Teachers' College). This college was part of the Universidad Nacional de México, which is now UNAM.
The University's Journey to Independence
When it was part of UNAM, the building held the dean's offices. A very important event happened here in 1929. Documents were signed that gave the university its independence. This meant the government could no longer tell the university what to teach or how to run things. This was a huge step for UNAM!
After 1930, the building was used by different schools. It was the School of University Initiation. Then it became the National School of Commerce and Administration. When most of UNAM moved to the big Ciudad Universitaria, this building housed the National School of Dentistry. In 1958, the dental school grew too big and moved out. The palace then became the main campus for the School of Nursing and Obstetrics. Finally, it was a high school, Plantel Número 2 "Doctor Erasmo Castellanos Quinto." It stayed a high school until 1978.
The University Autonomy Museum
In the early 2000s, a group of dentists worked to fix up the building. Today, it is a museum called the Museo de la Autonomía Universitaria. People also often call it the Palacio de la Autonomía. The museum celebrates the university's independence. In 1929, the Universidad Nacional de México gained freedom from direct government control. This freedom is very important for public universities in Mexico.
To celebrate 75 years of this event, the building was given its current name in 2004. The museum has a special Hall of Mexican Dentistry. It also has changing exhibits and an exhibit about old archaeological finds. The university's radio station, UNAM-FM, is also located here. The museum keeps important papers about the people who helped the university gain its independence. There are even special windows in the floor. These windows let visitors see parts of the old convent that were found during construction.
See also
In Spanish: Palacio de la Autonomía para niños
