Houses of the Mayorazgo de Guerrero
The Houses of the Mayorazgo de Guerrero are historic buildings at 16 and 18 Moneda Street in Mexico City, located across from the Museum of Cultures in the historic center of the city[1] and near Correo Mayor.[1][2]
The two buildings are nearly twins, both with
History
The two houses were founded in the 16th century by Juan Guerrero de Luna and his wife Beatriz Gomez Davila, after receiving a grant of the land to the family by Spanish king
By the end of the 19th century, the eastern, or servants’ house was already converted into apartments and stores. Artist José Guadalupe Posada lived and worked in this building from the end of the 19th century until his death in 1913 after losing his former studios.[3][4] Living and working here allowed him to observe the daily lives of ordinary people, which was reflected in his work from this time.[4]
In 1914, the main house became the site of the
In the 1980s, the main house was being used by the Dept of Prehistory of the
Description
The main house lacks many of the spectacular architectural details that distinguish other residences such as the
Inside, the building has two patios with independent entrances to the street as well as a doorway that connect them to each other In the main stairwell is a fresco done by Rufino Tamaño from 1933 which is dedicated to music.[1]
House of the Sun and Moon
However, the most distinctive decoration of the house is outside and gives the house the alternate name of “Houses of the Sun and Moon.” They are reliefs of the sun and the moon on the corner that is at the intersection of Moneda and Correo Mayor Streets.[1][3] These, too, are a reference to the Virgin Mary, as she is said to be “as beautiful as the moon and as bright as the sun.” However, these images, as well as the names of the family associated with the property have given rise to a legend as to their existence. This legend says that there was a viceroy, who was quite fond of wild parties, inviting the highest-class families of New Spain. This viceroy gave the wife of Don Enrique de Luna, Doña Sol de Olmedo, a sumptuous mansion located very close to the Viceroy's Palace as a token of appreciation for their “platonic” relationship. Luna became jealous over the gift and, according to the story, had the house completely demolished to its foundations. He then built in its place a new and even more sumptuous house there for his wife. Furthermore, to show to her that their names were forever linked, he had the reliefs of the sun (“sol” means sun) and moon (“luna” means moon) at the corner where the two main facades meet. This action caused the viceroy to permanently break off his relationship with the couple.[3]
References
- ^ )
- ^ "Ruta 2" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2009-07-24. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Ritos y Retos de Centro Historico La casa de la luna y el sol" (in Spanish). 2008. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
- ^ a b Gonzalez Gamio, Angeles (2002-07-28). "El eterno Posada" (in Spanish). Mexico City: La Jornada. Retrieved June 5, 2009.
- ^ a b Betty Luisa Zanolli Fabila. "LV Aniversario del Conservatorio Nacional de Musica en Polanco: Los Espacios de la Historia Conservatoriana" (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2009-06-05.