Beneath our feet lies a land once known as Tlaxpana. It meant “place that has been swept” in Nahuatl. Welcome to the Casco de Santo Tomás IPN. This area now houses the Unidad Profesional Lázaro Cárdenas. It belongs to the Instituto Politécnico Nacional.
After the Spanish Conquest Hernán Cortés was given this land. Cortés established a garden here. He called it “Huerta de Santo Tomás”. Legend says he deeply revered this Catholic saint.
The architectural style showcases the educational buildings. The first School of Agriculture was built here after Mexico’s independence. Later in 1857 the Escuela Nacional de Artes y Oficios was inaugurated.
The Casco de Santo Tomás expanded as the neighborhood grew. It stretched towards what is now Tacuba. Streets like México Tacuba and Ferrocarril Cuernavaca remind us of this era.
An imposing building was built in the Cuchilla del Rosario area. It was meant to train teachers. This is the Colegio Militar. It has been in operation since 1918. Its large beautiful gardens are remarkable.
Avenida de los Maestros is home to one of the neighborhood’s iconic complexes. The Benemérita Escuela Nacional de Maestros is an architectural treasure. Many residents don’t know about it. Mario Pani designed an outdoor forum for it. José Clemente Orozco created a mural that decorates the large building.
The Unidad Profesional Lázaro Cárdenas is the most famous school in the Casco de Santo Tomás. It is part of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Tragedy struck this neighborhood on September 23 1968. The army clashed with IPN students here.
Over the decades schools of commerce biological sciences and business have been built. Some have even been torn down. The Casco de Santo Tomás is a landmark for educational buildings. Walking its streets is fun interesting and thought-provoking.
In pre-Hispanic times the land belonged to the lordship of Tacuba. After the Conquest the Spanish Crown ceded Tlaxpana’s territories to Hernán Cortés. Cortés founded a hacienda. He named it after Santo Tomás his saint.
After independence this area was chosen to build educational institutions. The Escuela Nacional de Agricultura and the Escuela Nacional de Artes y Oficios were established here.
In 1936 the Instituto Politécnico Nacional was founded. Its facilities were built on the old Instituto Técnico Industrial grounds. The IPN complex gradually expanded. In 1980 the IPN facilities in Santo Tomás were renamed Unidad Profesional Lázaro Cárdenas. This honored the president who created the institute.
The Casco de Santo Tomás also has architectural gems and art. Celebrated architects participated in constructing the educational complexes. Vladimir Kaspé designed Escuela Secundaria No 15. Mario Pani designed an open-air forum for the Benemérita Escuela Nacional de Maestros. José Clemente Orozco created a mural for the complex. The façade of the Escuela Normal features Alegoría Nacional by the muralist. The Colegio Militar also boasts stunning gardens.
From a pre-Hispanic neighborhood to a colonial estate the Casco de Santo Tomás transformed. It became one of the country’s most important educational and cultural spaces. So as you wander through the Casco de Santo Tomás remember its past. Envision the students and teachers who have walked these streets. Feel the history and culture that permeates every corner of this remarkable place.