Gazing at the tile cupolas overlooking Avenida Revoluciòn, do you feel a shiver crawl up your spine? We are standing before El Carmen. It is more than just a building. It’s a portal to Mexico City’s hidden past.
El Carmen began as a convent. The Discalced Carmelites founded it in 1615 in what was then the Aztec village of Tenanitla. It later became San Ángel. Father Andrés de San Miguel was the founder. The convent construction stretched from 1615 to 1626.
Imagine the bustling activity within these walls. The complex once housed a college for theology students. Its library boasted over 12000 books. However, the college closed in 1858. The local authorities took control of the complex.
In 1929, El Carmen transformed into a museum. Later, in 1939, it fell under the care of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia. Now, El Carmen showcases a rich collection of Mexican colonial religious art.
You will see paintings by Miguel Cabrera and original monastery furniture here. These items tell the story of the Carmelites’ lives.
But there’s a darker secret hidden beneath El Carmen. Twelve unidentified mummies lie in the crypt. People come from far and wide to see them.
These mummies weren’t always on display. The convent was secularized in the 1850s. The building was abandoned. The bodies of local parishioners lay forgotten.
Revolutionary soldiers raided the crypt hoping for treasure in 1916. They found only the mummies. Local residents rediscovered them in the 1920s. They provided glass caskets for their newfound neighbors.
Why did these bodies mummify? The volcanic soil beneath El Carmen likely played a role. It dehydrated the corpses preventing natural decomposition.
The mummies are a major draw but El Carmen offers much more. The museum has paintings by Baroque artists like Cristòbal de Villalpando and Luis Juàrez. Statues and relics fill the rooms. The museum also details the Carmelite order’s history.
The Carmelites valued contemplation and worship of the Virgin Mary. Images of the Virgen del Carmen appear throughout El Carmen.
Take a moment to explore the peaceful garden. Consider the layers of history surrounding you. El Carmen connects us to the past. It reminds us of the lives and mysteries that lie beneath Mexico City.