The San Ildefonso College currently is a museum and cultural center in Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

, considered to be the birthplace of the Mexican muralism

Mexican Muralism

Mexican muralism is a Mexican art movement. The most important period of this movement took place primarily from the 1920s to the 1960s, though it exerted an influence on later generations of Mexican artists...

 movement. San Ildefonso began as a prestigious Jesuit boarding school, and after the Reform War

Reform War

The Reform War in Mexico is one of the episodes of the long struggle between Liberal and Conservative forces that dominated the country’s history in the 19th century. The Liberals wanted a federalist government, limiting traditional Catholic Church and military influence in the country...

, it gained educational prestige again as National Preparatory School. This school and the building closed completely in 1978, then reopened as a museum and cultural center in 1994. The museum has permanent and temporary art and archeological exhibitions in addition to the many murals painted on its walls by José Clemente Orozco

José Clemente Orozco

José Clemente Orozco was a Mexican social realist painter, who specialized in bold murals that established the Mexican Mural Renaissance together with murals by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and others...

, Fernando Leal, Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera

Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez was a prominent Mexican painter born in Guanajuato, Guanajuato, an active communist, and husband of Frida Kahlo . His large wall works in fresco helped establish the Mexican Mural Movement in...

 and others. The complex is located between San Ildefonso Street and Justo Sierra Street in the historic center of Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

.

The Jesuit College

The Jesuits arrived in Mexico in 1572. With evangelization of the native population mostly complete, this order soon turned to establishing schools, especially schools for Creole youth. They founded numerous colleges both in Mexico City and the outlying provinces, but the most important of these was San Ildefonso, founded in 1588. In 1618, it merged with the old San Pedro y San Pablo College

San Pedro y San Pablo College (Museum of Light)

The San Pedro y San Pablo College complex has seen a lot of changes since it was built in late 16th and early 17th centuries, and today the church portion of the complex is home to the Museo de la Luz sponsored by the National Autonomous University of Mexico...

, which was nearly in ruins, and gained a royal seal from Philip III of Spain.

Although administered by friars, the education here was not solely dedicated to religious matters. San Ildefonso was not a college in the modern sense of the word, but rather more like a boarding residence and school. Students lived and studied at the school, which did offer classes, but San Ildefonso's students were also enrolled in the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico

Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico

The Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico was founded on 21 September 1551 by Royal Decree signed by Charles I of Spain, in Valladolid, Spain. It is generally considered the first university officially founded in North America and second in the Americas.After the Mexican War of Independence it...

, taking classes there and with the old faculty of San Pedro y San Pablo.

In the early 18th century, student population at the school has grown such that building expansion was needed. Work was begun on extending the building in 1712 and completed in 1749. This section of the complex is now known as the "Colegio Chico" (Small College) as opposed to the original section, called the "Colegio Grande" (Large College). The facade of both sections, which faces San Ildefonso Street, was constructed around this time as well.

The school reached its height in the 18th century, becoming one of the most important educational institutions in Mexico City, along with the University. However, the Jesuits were expelled from all Spanish lands, including Mexico, by Charles III

Charles III of Spain

Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...

 in 1767. Operation of the school was then given to non-monastic clergy, and the school declined. The building continued to function as the San Idefonso College between 1767 and 1867, but it was also used for other purposes, such as housing soldiers from the Flandes Regiment

Spanish Army

The Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...

, being a temporary site of the Jurisprudence School and housing several departments of the School of Medicine. During the Mexican American War and the French intervention

French intervention in Mexico

The French intervention in Mexico , also known as The Maximilian Affair, War of the French Intervention, and The Franco-Mexican War, was an invasion of Mexico by an expeditionary force sent by the Second French Empire, supported in the beginning by the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spain...

, U.S. and French troops used this building as barracks.

National Preparatory School

The old Jesuit school had almost completely fallen into ruin by the time of the Reform Laws in the 1860s. These Laws secularized most of Church property, including the San Ildefonso College building. In 1867, Benito Juárez

Benito Juárez

Benito Juárez born Benito Pablo Juárez García, was a Mexican lawyer and politician of Zapotec origin from Oaxaca who served five terms as president of Mexico: 1858–1861 as interim, 1861–1865, 1865–1867, 1867–1871 and 1871–1872...

 began reform of the educational system, taking it out of clerical hands and making it a government function. San Ildefonso was converted into the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria, or National Preparatory School, initially directed by Gabino Barreda

Gabino Barreda

Gabino Barreda was a Mexican physician and philosopher oriented to French positivism.After participating in the U.S.-Mexican War defending his country as a volunteer, he studied medicine in Paris . There he became acquainted with Auguste Comte's doctrine, before his first publications in philosophy...

, who organized the new school on the Positivist model of Auguste Comte

Auguste Comte

Isidore Auguste Marie François Xavier Comte , better known as Auguste Comte , was a French philosopher, a founder of the discipline of sociology and of the doctrine of positivism...

 (Comtism). The initial purpose of the school was to provide the nucleus of students for the soon-to-be-reconstructed Universidad Nacional (National University), later National Autonomous University of Mexico

National Autonomous University of Mexico

The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México is a university in Mexico. UNAM was founded on 22 September 1910 by Justo Sierra as a liberal alternative to the Roman Catholic-sponsored Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) (National Autonomous...

, which was re-established in 1910 by Justo Sierra

Justo Sierra

Justo Sierra Méndez , was a prominent Mexican writer, journalist, poet and political figure of the second half of the nineteenth century. He was the son of Mexican novelist Justo Sierra O'Reilly, who is credited with inspiring his son with the spirit of literature...

.

The new preparatory school began functioning at the San Ildefonso building with more than 700 day students and 200 live-in students. The complex remained a separate entity until 1929, when the Universidad Nacional gained autonomy, meaning it became independent of the government, though still government-sponsored. The Preparatory School became part of the newly-independent university system, being designated as Preparatory #1 for a short time. As part of the student revolts of 1968

Tlatelolco massacre

The Tlatelolco massacre, also known as The Night of Tlatelolco , was a government massacre of student and civilian protesters and bystanders that took place during the afternoon and night of October 2, 1968, in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas in the Tlatelolco section of Mexico City...

, some students hid inside the building, which resulted in an occupation from the Mexican Army, who entered the building by shooting a bazooka round on its 18th-century-old front door. Its named soon changed back to Escuela Nacional Preparatoria and remained so until 1978, when it closed completely.

Muralist movement

In the 1920s, soon after the Mexican Revolution

Mexican Revolution

The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...

, the government sponsored mural paintings with themes centering on Mexico's history and politics of the post-Revolution era. San Ildefonso was one of the very first public buildings to be painted this way. The artwork was commissioned by José Vasconcelos

José Vasconcelos

José Vasconcelos Calderón was a Mexican writer, philosopher and politician. He is one of the most influential and controversial personalities in the development of modern Mexico. His philosophy of "indigenismo" affected all aspects of Mexican sociocultural, political, and economic...

, a former director of the Preparatory School, and Secretary of Education. Painters who contributed mural work include Ramon de la Cana, Fermin Revueltas, Fernando Leal, José Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros

David Alfaro Siqueiros

José David Alfaro Siqueiros was a social realist painter, known for his large murals in fresco that helped establish the Mexican Mural Renaissance, together with works by Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco, and also a member of the Mexican Communist Party who participated in an...

 and Jean Charlot

Jean Charlot

Louis Henri Jean Charlot was a French painter and illustrator, active in Mexico and the United States. Charlot was born in Paris. His father, Henri, owned an import-export business and was a Russian-born émigré, albeit one who supported the Bolshevik cause. His mother Anna was herself an artist...

.

Cultural Center

Today the building is a museum and cultural center. In 1978, the National Preparatory School was closed down and the building remained shut to the public until 1992. In that year, the building was renovated for an exposition called "Esplendores de 30 siglos" (Splendors of 30 centuries). In 1994, the building was opened permanently as a cultural center and museum administered jointly by the National Autonomous University of Mexico, National Council for Culture and Arts and the government of the Federal District of Mexico City. The museum hosts temporary art and archeological exhibits focusing on both Mexican and foreign cultures. One recent exhibition here was called "Cicatrices de la Fe. El arte de las misiones del norte de la Nueva España 1600–1821", (Scars of the Faith. The art of the missions in the north of New Spain

New Spain

New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...

 1600–1821), focusing on the religious art used to evangelized the Catholic faith in what is now northern Mexico during the Colonial period. The exhibition brought together pieces from Mexico, the U.S. and Europe.

It is also an active participant in the effort to revitalize the historic center of Mexico City, offering space for cultural and business events, using the money earned to support its public cultural functions. There is also a gift shop in the patio of the Colegio Grande that offers museum publications, handcrafted jewelry, ceramics and textiles as well as publications relating to the temporary and permanent collections of the museum.

San Ildefonso Street facade

Although it no longer provides access inside the complex, the large facade that runs along almost the entire length of San Ildefonso Street is the original, with a wide pedestrian zone between it and the street. The facade is a long wall which is covered in tezontle, a blood-red porous volcanic stone, with windows and doors arranged unevenly and pilasters dividing the façade horizontally. These windows and doors are framed with jambs and lintels in cantera, a grayish-white stone. Vertical pilaster

Pilaster

A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....

s made of chiluca, another kind of white stone, divide the facade, which has two levels with the lower one being larger. Most of the facade belongs to the Colegio Grande, or the original section of the College.

There are two extremely large portals done in cantera with supporting in which relieves done in "tecali", a very white, almost transparent marble. On the far left of the pedestrian zone is the stone portal of the Colegio Chico. This is the oldest intact section of facade, and it is adorned with estipite (inverted truncated pyramid) pilasters. Either they or the estipite designs on the Kings Altar of the Cathedral are the first use of this design in New Spain. This portal has a relief named "La imposición de la casulla a san Ildefonso" (Putting on the chasuble

Chasuble

The chasuble is the outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy for the celebration of the Eucharist in Western-tradition Christian Churches that use full vestments, primarily in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches, as well as in some parts of the United Methodist Church...

 on Saint Ildefonso of Toledo) and opens to a hall that leads to the largest patio.

The portal leading to the Colegio Chico has a relief called "El patrocinio de san Jose los jesuitas" (Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....

 as patron of the Jesuits) as well as one called "Virgen del Rosario" (Our Lady of the Rosary

Our Lady of the Rosary

Our Lady of the Rosary is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary in relation to the rosary....

) both done in tecali. This portal opens to a hall that leads to a smaller patio.

Colegio Grande

Colegio Grande or Large College is the largest and the original portion of the complex. It consists of one large patio, surrounded on all four sides by simple rounded arches, hallways and rooms and one smaller patio called the "Patio de los Pasantes." The part of the school has three floors with a monumental staircase and contains most of the mural work done at San Ildefonso, and most of this was done by José Clemente Orozco between 1922 and 1927.

In what was once the portico

Portico

A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...

, there is a mural by Ramón Alva de la Canal

Ramón Alva de la Canal

Ramón Alva de la Canal was a Mexican painter and illustrator.- Biography :...

 entitled "The Spanish Landing and Planting of the Cross on New Land" done in 1922. This fresco is considered to be the first of "The New School" of painting dealing with a specific point of Mexican history. On the opposite wall of the portico is the "Allegory of the Virgin of Guadalupe" by Fermin Revueltas. During the commission of this work, after not being paid for a number of weeks, Revueltas staged a kind of a strike at the school. Armed with a pistol and being somewhat drunk, he forced the porter to close the doors of the school. Since neither students nor teachers could enter the school, classes were suspended. The situation was resolved when David Alfaro Siqueiros met with Education Minister José Vasconcelos to arrange payment in gold coins. The story ends with both Siqueiros and Revueltas spending the money at a local cantina

Cantina

Cantina is a word that can refer to various places and establishments. It is similar in etymology to "canteen", and is derived from the Italian word for a cellar, winery, or vault.Cantinas are found in many towns of Italy...

.

From the large patio of the Colegio Grande, one can see murals done by Orozco on all three floors. In the second floor corridor is a piece by Orozco called "The Old Order" which is considered a satirical work and "The Trench" which is considered one of his best works. On the third floor corridor is another series of murals by Orozco known as "New Ideals."

The staircase connecting the three floors also contains Orozco's mural "The Origin of Spanish America," but the upper portion of the staircase contains works by other artists. The southern wall of the stairway leading to the third floor is occupied by a mural by French artist Jean Charlot entitled "The Conquest of Tenochtitlan." This work covers an aspect of Aztec history for the first time and is also noted for the use of metallic encrustations on the necklaces worn by Aztec lords. The northern wall contains a work called "The Festivities of the Lord of Chalma" by Fernando Leal. The work is noted for its use of bright color on the dancers and is considered a notable example of Neo-Baroque style.

Chapel

On one side of the hallway leading from the portal to the patio, there is the old chapel. This chapel was used as a library during the years that this was the preparatory school. This chapel contains a number of paintings.

El Generalito

On the other side of the hallway, to the left of the "La Tinchera" mural, is "El Generalito" (the little general) the general assembly room of the Preparatory School. This room got its nickname because despite its small size, it was still the room used for all major assemblies. It contains the elaborately-carved choir stalls that belonged to the Convent of San Agustin, created by Salvador Ocampo with relief work in wood. These stalls were probably created sometime in the last third of the 17th century. These stalls were brought, refurbished and installed here in 1890. In addition to a number of paintings, this room also has an elaborately carved professor's chair that was made for the Preparatory School.

Patio de los Pasantes

The smaller courtyard of the Colegio Grande is called the "Patio de los Pasantes" "Pasantes" (lit. "those who have passed") were those students who had completed all classes but needed to write their theses. When students reached this point, they were housed in this side of the building. It has only three sides with arches, with the fourth side being a blank wall. Otherwise, this patio is similar to the larger one.

Colegio Chico

While the Colegio Chico was undergone significant modifications since it was built onto the main college in the 18th century, it remains intact to this day. From the Colegio Chico entrance, there is a simple stairwell. Siqueiros painted the sides of this stairwell from 1922 to 1924, but he never finished the work. Furthermore, much of the work was lost during later renovations. Only a work on the stairwell's ceiling, called "The Elements" survives intact.

Amphitheater Bolivar

The portals of the San Idefonso Street side of the complex are no longer open for public access. The entrance to the complex is now on Justo Sierra Street through the Simón Bolívar Amphitheater. In 1906, due to the growth of the Preparatory School, a new building was ordered for the land against and behind the Colegio Grande. The amphitheatre was built by architect Samuel Chavez between 1906 and 1911. Another building that served as the dean's offices was finished in 1931 and designed by architect Pablo Flores. Both the amphitheatre and the dean's offices were designed to copy the Baroque style of the rest of the complex, but according to critics, both contain a significant number of design errors.

The lobby leading from the Just Sierra entrance has a double arcade decorated with elaborate Neo-Churrigueresque

Churrigueresque

Churrigueresque refers to a Spanish Baroque style of elaborate sculptural architectural ornament which emerged as a manner of stucco decoration in Spain in the late 17th century and was used up to about 1750, marked by extreme, expressive and florid decorative detailing, normally found above the...

 details. One the left is a fresco painted by Fernando Leal between 1931 and 1933. Named "Epopeya bolivariana", it is a historical piece done in nine panels depicting the heroes that fought for independence in the various countries of the Americas

Americas

The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...

.

Inside the Bolivar Amphitheater itself, one of Diego Rivera's early murals "The Creation" can be seen. Despite the mixture of styles and concepts, this mural contains some of the features that would become Rivera trademarks: generous curves in the human form, Mexican nationalist elements, geometric structure of the composition, and groupings of famous persons. Other paintings here include works by Emilio Garcia Cahera, Ernesto Garcia Cabral, and Angel Bolivar.