Dive into the captivating history of Mexico City at the Museo de la Ciudad de México. This museum is more than just a collection of artifacts. It is a journey through time.
The Museo de la Ciudad de México is housed in the former palace of the Counts of Santiago de Calimaya. These counts were descendants of Hernán Cortés. Imagine that lineage echoing through these very halls.
Completed in 1779 by architect Francisco Antonio de Guerrero y Torres the building itself is a masterpiece. However the counts only lived here until 1781. For many years the palace was rented to tenants and shopkeepers. In 1960 the city purchased it.
In 1964 the Museo de la Ciudad de México opened. Its mission was to celebrate Mexico City’s past and future. The museum was reorganized in 1997. It reopened dedicated to exhibitions of city life. Today the Museo de la Ciudad de México works with other prominent museums. These include the Museo Nacional de Antropología and the Museo de Arte Moderno.
Inside the Museo de la Ciudad de México you will find 26 galleries. These galleries trace the city’s evolution. Travel from Aztec Mexico-Tenochtitlan to the present day. The museum is divided into four periods. These are pre-Hispanic colonial 19th century and 20th century.
See objects codices and maps from the pre-Hispanic era. Discover furniture glassware pottery and art from later centuries. Sculpture paintings and photography are also on display at the Museo de la Ciudad de México.
The Museo de la Ciudad de México also houses part of Joaquín Clausell’s studio and music room. Clausell lived here at the turn of the 20th century. The Jaime Torres Bodet library is here too. It holds around 10000 volumes.
One gallery is dedicated to the river system in the Valley of Mexico. The Museo de la Ciudad de México also offers frequent temporary exhibits. Educational programs are available for kids and adults. Guided tours take place often.
The palace’s history dates back to 1527. Juan Gutiérrez Altamirano arrived in New Spain. Cortés gave him land near the Templo Mayor. Altamirano built a fortress-like house.
The family was awarded the title Counts of Santiago de Calimaya in 1616. They held it for fourteen generations. The seventh count remodeled the house after earthquakes and floods.
During renovations in 1777 workers uncovered an Aztec serpent’s head. It became the building’s cornerstone. The remodeling cost 130000 pesos. The palace chapel was added between 1778 and 1779.
The Cervantes family lived in the house until 1964. The Mexico City government acquired it and founded the museum. The structure covers 2762 square meters. It has a masonry foundation and thick walls. The facade is covered in tezontle. The portal and balcony are made of cantera stone.
Inside the Museo de la Ciudad de México you can admire two floors and two courtyards. The family’s coat-of-arms adorns the main courtyard. A shell-shaped fountain features a Nereid playing a guitar.
The Museo de la Ciudad de México’s music room has survived almost intact. In the 19th century music was important to upper-class families. The main stairwell features dogs on the banister. Some speculate that the wood and labor were of Philippine origin. However they are native to Mexico.
In 1931 the house was declared a national monument. By the 1950s it had become tenements. In 1960 the city acquired it from the counts’ descendants. In 1964 the Museo de la Ciudad de México opened.
In 1999 the mayor gave the keys of the city to Pope John Paul II here. The Museo de la Ciudad de México is a treasure trove of history and art. It is a place where you can connect with the heart and soul of Mexico City.