El Quijote de Veterinaria Mural

Across the ages, a knight errant rides. Not across the plains of La Mancha, but across 600 Talavera tiles. Here at the entrance of UNAM’s Faculty of Veterinary and Zootechnics, the El Quijote de Veterinaria Mural unfolds. This isn’t just a mural. It’s a vibrant testament to the faculty’s history and a unique homage to Cervantes’ masterpiece. The mural depicts scenes from Don Quijote, drawn largely from Gustave Doré’s iconic engravings. Out of Doré’s 206 engravings, 176 have been identified within the mural’s mosaic. Some tiles even combine elements from multiple engravings, like the one showing Sancho affectionately greeting his donkey. But the El Quijote de Veterinaria Mural’s story starts far from Ciudad Universitaria. It begins on a farm in Iztapalapa, a haven for veterinary students when the faculty was located in the former San Jacinto convent. When the UNAM campus was built, the students lost their on-site housing. Resourceful students took over an abandoned farm, later negotiating its donation to UNAM with the help of Rector Nabor Carrillo Flores and President Ruiz Cortines. This farm became a hub of learning. Students lived, studied, and practiced their craft surrounded by Talavera-tiled walls. By the mid-1980s, changing demographics and local protests led to the farm’s closure in 1988. The land was sold, but the mural remained, tucked away in the back garden. Dr. Luis Zarco Quintero, then-director of the faculty, recognizing the mural’s significance, orchestrated its rescue. Piece by piece, the tiles were painstakingly transferred to a metal grid and brought to the faculty on May 12, 1998. Today, the El Quijote de Veterinaria Mural stands as a symbol of the veterinary community’s resilience, a vibrant echo of a chapter in UNAM’s history. It serves as a unique bridge between classic literature, Mexican artistry, and the enduring spirit of veterinary medicine.