A whisper of history. That’s what you feel standing before the Casa de la Primera Imprenta de América. This unassuming building in Mexico City holds a secret. It’s the site of the first printing press in the Americas.
The Casa de la Primera Imprenta de América. A small cultural center. It’s more than just bricks and mortar. This building stands as a testament to the power of communication. To the spread of knowledge across continents.
Imagine 1539. A bustling colonial Mexico City. Juan Cromberger a Sevillian printer sets up shop here. He brings with him the revolutionary technology of the printing press. His employee Juan Paoli an Italian runs the operation. For ten years they churn out documents. Government papers. Church pronouncements. Their most famous work? A “Breve y más compendiosa doctrina cristiana”. It was written by the Archbishop Juan de Zumárraga. It was printed in both Nahuatl and Spanish.
But this site has a much earlier history. Long before the printing press. This was the Casa de las Campanas. The House of Bells. Built in the 1520s by Jerónimo de Aguilar. He was a translator for Hernán Cortés. He’d been captured by the Maya. Aguilar’s house stood on the edge of the sacred precinct of the Templo Mayor. A significant temple to Tezcatlipoca. It was a central deity of the Mexica of Tenochtitlan. The original building was dismantled. The site was important for the casting of the first bells for the cathedral. Bells used in churches across the valley of Mexico.
Centuries passed. The building changed hands many times. It was rebuilt in the 18th century. Much of the archive was lost during the US Army’s brief occupation in 1847. It became a furniture store. It was used for offices. Then in 1989 the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) bought it. They wanted to restore it.
The UAM collaborated with the Historic Center Restoration Program. They worked with the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). During renovations a 1.5-ton serpent head sculpture was found. It was buried 82 centimeters beneath the street. It was part of the ancient temple to Tezcatlipoca. INAH suggested that it may have been visible to occupants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Ninety more artifacts were discovered. They are displayed in the Museo del libro. This museum shows some of Mexico’s oldest books.
Since 1994 the Casa de la Primera Imprenta de América has served as a cultural center. It holds exhibitions. It hosts conferences and workshops. This small building. It’s a reminder of the enduring power of words. Of ideas. Of the legacy of those who first brought the printing press to the Americas. A legacy that continues to resonate today.