Museum of Mexico City
The Museum of Mexico City (Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico) is located at Pino Suarez 30, a few blocks south of the
The building was completed in 1779[6] and the descendants of the counts lived in it until 1960. The architect that completed the palace was Francisco Antonio de Guerrero y Torres.[6]
History of the Palace of the Counts of Santiago de Calimaya
The history of the Old Palace of the Counts of Santiago de Calimaya dates back to the year 1527, when Mr. Juan Gutiérrez Altamirano arrived in New Spain from the island of Cuba, where he had been governor in 1524; to take the post of Corregidor of Texcoco and overseer of Hernán Cortés.
When Hernán Cortés distributed the lands closest to the Templo Mayor Mexica among his comrades-in-arms and closest collaborators; He gives the land located on what was then calle de Ixtapalapa to the corner of the street that goes to the Hospital de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción to Don Juan Gutiérrez Altamirano, who shortly before had married Juana Altamirano Pizarro, first cousin of the conqueror. In this period, according to some plans, the house belonged to the “fortress-house” architectural typology, that is, a house with defensive elements against adverse situations. The description of the first dwelling house built by order of Lic. Altamirano corresponded to a rectangular building with the appearance of a three-story feudal tower with a door on the ground floor, four windows on the middle floor and six windows on the top floor. plus. The entire building had a conical roof and a tower on one side.
It was not until the third generation that the family was awarded the first noble title: “Counts of Santiago de Calimaya”; of Santiago because they were devoted to St. James the Great, the Spanish patron saint; of
A time of economic and social boom came for the Altamirano Velasco family. The remodeling of the old manor house in which his predecessors had lived, was in charge of the seventh count, since the building was badly damaged by earthquakes and floods, and more than remodeling, it was a complete restructuring, because the old building was demolished. This new construction is related to the promulgation of the
The palace was rebuilt at the end of the 18th century, carrying out the work between 1776 and 1779 by the Criollo builder Francisco Antonio de Guerrero y Torres,[7] author of other works of great importance such as the Palace of the Marquises of Jaral del Berrio and the Capilla del Pocito. In the colonial era, calle de Pino Suárez (at that time, Iztapalapa road) was the fashionable street for the houses of the nobility, which were thus aligned with the Royal Palace. The facade of the palace was covered with tezontle and the portal and the windows with quarry.
At this time, the viceregal government decided to renovate the deteriorated palace in 1777, giving the work to
The house was inhabited by the family until 1964, which is an exceptional case, it was the only manor house occupied by a New Spanish noble family until the middle of the 20th century, when it was expropriated, the Cervantes family was forced to sell it to the government of Mexico City, which arranged for the foundation of the museum in the house.
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Palace of the Counts of Calimaya in 1920.[9]
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Main door of the Palace in 1920.[10]
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Chapel of the Palace in 1920. INAH.
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The courtyard in 1920, photographed by Hugo Brehme.
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Fountain of the palace in 1920, photographed by Hugo Brehme.
Description of the palace
During the colonial period, this palace was considered one of the most sumptuous in New Spain.[2] The structure covers 2,762 m2, has a masonry foundation, thick masonry walls, and the facade covered in tezontle.[3][8] The main entrance and portal are done in cantera, a grayish-white stone, as well as the central balcony.[3][5] There are also friezes on the facade done in basalt.[8] The Baroque portal rests on four clawed feet and mascarons.[1][3] It also has cannon-shaped gargoyles, which could be fired, but only with permission of city authorities.[1] The look that survives today is the result of remodeling work done in the late 18th century and was one of the last major Baroque projects in Mexico. One of the building's most distinctive elements is the previously mentioned Aztec serpent's head, which was probably uncovered during this work. It is thought that the head may have come from the Templo Mayor and was placed as the cornerstone of the original house that was owned by Juan Gutierrez Altamirano .[3]
Inside, the house has two floors with two courtyards, which was common with houses of Mexican nobility. The family's coat-of-arms adorn the arches of the main courtyard. One distinctive element of the palace is the fountain in the shape of a shell located in the main courtyard. Its deteriorated condition and the fact that there is little space between it and the windows near it suggest that it dates back to before the 18th-century remodeling. The focus of the fountain is a
The house had its own chapel, but only fragments of the facade remain in the structure today. One room that survives nearly intact is the music room. In the 19th century, music was one of the activities that the upper-class engaged in on a daily basis. European composers such as
Museum of Mexico City
From the end of the 19th century and through most of the 20th century, this part of Mexico City suffered a severe decline. This house was adapted to rent space to lower-class tenants and by end of the 1950s had become tenements, in spite of the fact that it had been declared a national monument in 1931.
It has 26 rooms covering the evolution of Mexico City from Aztec times to the present.
The studio of
The Jaime Torres Bodet Library contains approximately 10,000 volumes, mostly dealing with topics related to Mexico City. Its collection came from several sources including the 19th century newspaper collection, maps of the city from the city council reserve as well as original copies of laws passed by the city council. It also contains a large collection of books about the history of the city.[3]
There are also temporary exhibits, educational programs for children and adults, a room devoted to the river system in the Valley of Mexico, a bookstore, and guided tours.[11] One of the events recently held here was called "Beats & Bits," which traced the origins of electronic music from the beginnings of the 20th century to the present.[13] Another event was an exposition of Mexican wrestling (lucha libre) featuring photographs, costumes and other objects related to this spectacle.[14]
In 1999, then-mayor of Mexico City,
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 968-5437-29-7.
- ^ a b c d e f g Gochis Illescas, Javier (2004-11-14). "Envuelve al Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico una Gran Riqueza" (in Spanish). Tulsa, Oklahoma: Hispano de Tulsa. Archived from the original on 2006-06-15. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico" (in Spanish). Mexico City: Prodeso. Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
- ^ a b c "Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico" (in Spanish). Mexico City: Revista Buen Viaje. Archived from the original on August 1, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
- ^ a b c d "Museo de la Ciudad de México (D.F)" (in Spanish). Mexico City: Mexico Desconocido. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
- ^ a b Angélica Oviedo Herrerias (1996). Palacio de los Condes de Santiago de Calimaya. Vol. First Edition. Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia.
- ^ ISBN 978-6070505812.
- ^ a b c d "Reseña del Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico" (in Spanish). Mexico City: Instituto de Administración y Avalúos de Bienes Nacionales. April 2003. Archived from the original on 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
- ^ "LA LEYENDA AMOROSA QUE ENCIERRA EL PALACIO DE LOS CONDES DE SANTIAGO DE CALIMAYA". mxcity.mx. 25 October 2022.
- ^ "Casa del Conde de Santiago Calimaya, portada". Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia website. 1920.
- ^ a b "Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico" (in Spanish). Mexico City: Artes e Historia México. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
- ISBN 978-1-135-63882-5.
- ^ "Museo de la Ciudad de México ofrecerá curso Beats & Bits". El Informador (in Spanish). Mexico City. Notimex. 2009-09-27. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
- ^ "Presentarán exposiciones de lucha libre en Museo Ciudad de México". SDP Noticias (in Spanish). Mexico City. Notimex. 2008-09-25. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-09-30.