Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana
Motto	Saber para valorar. Valorar para elegir. To know in order to value. To value in order to choose.
Established	1979
School type	Private School Private school Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
President
Location	Izazaga 92, Centro Histórico, Mexico City, D.F., Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
Campus	Urban Urban area An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further... , The former cloister where Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz lived and died (Downtown, Mexico City)
Enrollment	1,301 undergraduate, 11
Faculty	240
Mascot
Official website	http://www.ucsj.edu.mx

The University of the Cloister of Sor Juana (Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

 Universidad de Claustro de Sor Juana) is a private university located in the former San Jerónimo Convent in the historic center of Mexico City

Historic center of Mexico City

The historic center of Mexico City is also known as the "Centro" or "Centro Histórico." This neighborhood is focused on the Zócalo or main plaza in Mexico City and extends in all directions for a number of blocks with its farthest extent being west to the Alameda Central The Zocalo is the largest...

. This convent is best known for having been the home of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz for over twenty five years, she produced many of her writings here. After the convent was closed in the 19th century, the large complex was divided and was home to a number of institutions and business, including a large dance hall in the mid 20th century. In the 1970s, the government expropriated the complex, explored it and began the restoration process. In 1979, the current university was founded at this site and it is currently the benefactor and guardian of the complex. The institution offers bachelors, two masters and two certificates, mostly in the humanities. The institution also sponsors or co-sponsors a number of cultural and educational activities, mostly situated in the historic center of the city.

The cloister complex

The cloister was founded in 1585 by Isabel de Barrios, the daughter of conquistador Andrés de Barrios. The convent was formed by the joining of two private residences, that is Alonso Ortiz (now at the extreme northeast of the Grand Claustro) and of Isabel de Barrios (at the extreme north east of the Patio de la Fundación). The two were joined then amplified by Isabel de Guevara. The complex became the home of four nuns from the Covent of La Concepción with authorization granted by archbishop Pedro Moya de Contreras as the first convents of nuns of the Saint Jerome order.

The church was built in Renaissance style

Renaissance architecture

Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...

 with Herrerian influence and consecrated in 1623. Its columns and 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 are Doric

Doric order

The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...

 and bear pyramidal crests. The tower dates from 1665, but despite being built during the Baroque period

Baroque architecture

Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...

, the tower is unadorned. Its circular dome rests on pandentives, a design invented by Alonos Perez de Castaneda for the Jesus Maria Church. The sculpture of Saint Hieronymite on the second body is the second oldest stone sculpture of the colonial period. The convent here was originally named for Saint Paula.

Over the years, the convent underwent many changes as the number of cells (bedrooms) increased, along with corresponding services such as servants’ quarters, a living room and expanded kitchen, until it reached the dimensions it has now.

This convent is best known for having been the home of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz for over 27 years. The tombstone that supposedly covers here grave in the lower choir is more of a tribute than a real grave. The nun, called the “Tenth Muse” in Mexico, wrote most of her works here.

In 1867, due to the Reform Laws

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...

, the convent was closed. The building was converted into a camp and military hospital. After that, the main patio was put to various uses such as the site of the Literary Society of Nezahualcoyotl

Nezahualcoyotl

Nezahualcoyotl was a philosopher, warrior, architect, poet and ruler of the city-state of Texcoco in pre-Columbian Mexico...

. By the beginning of the 20th century, it was used as payment to architect Antonio Rivas Mercado, with his daughters Antonieta and Alicia inheriting it in 1927. The church became property of the state and was declared a national monument. The rest of the property was divided among several owners with some of the complex having office buildings constructed on it. The best known business to be on this site was the Smyrna Dancing Club, which operated in the mid 20th century.

In 1975, a group dedicated to the studies of Sor Juana petition President Luis Echeverría

Luis Echeverría

Luis Echeverría Álvarez served as President of Mexico from 1970 to 1976.-Early history:Echeverría joined the faculty of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 1947 and taught political theory...

 to expropriate the building in order to conserve it. Under presidential decree, the complex was excavated and explored between 1976 and 1982, involving anthropologists, archeologists, architects, historians and others with the purpose of restoration. Many of the finds are objects related to the daily lives of the nuns that used to live here such as tiles, fountains, drainage systems and water collectors as well as tombs. Today the university is in charge of the complex’s conservation. It is considered a “Patrimonio de la Nación” (National Heritage Site) and is featured on the back of a 200 peso bill

Mexican peso

The peso is the currency of Mexico. Modern peso and dollar currencies have a common origin in the 15th–19th century Spanish dollar, most continuing to use its sign, "$". The Mexican peso is the 12th most traded currency in the world, the third most traded in the Americas, and by far the most...

.

In the mid 2000’s, the Catholic Church tried to reclaim the Church of San Jeronimo to return it to worship. However, the school resisted these efforts and eventually won in court. The university maintains the rights to the entire property as long as it remains an educational and cultural institution.

The educational institution

The Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana was founded here in 1979, offering its first bachelors in “Human Sciences” (Ciencias Humanas) . Today, the institution offers eight in Art, Audiovisual Communication, Study and Promotion of Culture, Philosophy, Gastronomy, Humanities, Iberoamerican Letters, and Psychology. It offers masters degrees in Mexico Colonial Culture and Food and Beverage Business Administration and certificates in Food and Beverage Business Administration and Theatrical Production. Approximately 75 to 80% of graduates find work in the fields they study. The most successful of these programs is gastronomy The life and work of Sor Juana forms the intellectual basis and the identity of the institution. The building’s interior has been remodeled as a mix of colonial and modern constructions, with conservation efforts being continuous.
The campus expanded in 2003, with the addition of nearby Regina campus, which was part of the colonial convent of the nuns of Regina Coeli. This campus contains Neoclassical constructions done by Manuel Tolsá for the Marquesa of Selva Nevada.

The library of the institution contains the Centro de Documentación Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, which aims to become the most important repository of writings about the nun and her life. Many of the works here are from the beginning of the 20th century. The center contains both books and periodicals about both the woman and her writings. The general library collection contains a large number of first editions, most of which were donated.

In 2007, the Pier Paolo Pasolina Peace Center was inaugurated which “intends to reunite the individual memory with the collective one to find paths to peace.”

Many spaces in the complex have been dedicated to art and culture exhibitions. One area is called the Museo de Indumentaria Mexicana (Museum of Traditional Mexican Dress) Luis Marez Romay. It contains an important collection of typical Mexican dress, many of which were donated by Carmen Romano

Carmen Romano

Carmen Romano de López Portillo was the First Lady of Mexico from 1976 - 1982. She was the spouse of Mexican president José López Portillo....

, who was First Lady of Mexico from 1976 to 1982. The museum also hosts temporary exhibits such as an art exhibit called “Ocho conjuros para sanar el alma” (Eight spells to heal the soul) as part of the 25th annual Festival de Mexico in the historic center of Mexico City. In 2007, there was an exhibition called “Monjas coronadas” (Crowned Nuns) which displayed artifacts related to the ritual of “marrying God” when nuns take their vows. It included the crowns which were placed on the nun’s head, some quite large, during the colonial period. In the ex church of San Jeronimo, concerts and art exhibits are presented. One of these exhibits was that of a large touring sculpture called “Traición” (Betrayal) . The school also has a collection of musical instruments including four antique pianos which were donated and are used for certain concerts.

San Jeronimo Street, which runs in front of the main facade, is pedestrian only and is now considered to be a plaza. It is being remodeled to house a “cultural corridor” as part of the university’s outreach program to the community that will extend to the College of Vizcainas. The school as a number of other outreach programs, such as literacy education to the estimated 10,000 people in the city center who cannot read or write at a sufficient level. There are also free psychological counseling programs for domestic violence and drug addiction as well. The university says these actions are part of its efforts to support the revitalization of the historic center

According to a survey called “Las Mejores Universidades 2009” (The Best Universities 2009) sponsored by the newspaper Reforma, students at Sor Juana are the largest and pickiest coffee drinkers in Mexico City. One reason for this is that the campus, located in the historic center, is surrounded by a number of gourmet cafes, which attract customers by offering cultural events such as films and poetry readings.

Each year the students of the school construct a monumental “ofrenda” or altar to the dead for Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in many cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it attains the quality...

 festivities in late October and early November. It is created with the collaboration of ex-students, teachers, artists and neighbors in the historic center of Mexico City. In 2007, the theme of the altar was “Sor Juana and time.” It included an hourglass in the center and two thousand meters of cempasúchil  garlands. A secondary alter in the Zapotec style was erected in honor of Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo de Rivera was a Mexican painter, born in Coyoacán, and perhaps best known for her self-portraits....

. Each year, the monumental altar receives more visits by the public and more neighbors are willing to participate according to the school’s dean. This tradition has been annually recreated for over two decades.
The Chorus of the Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana has performed under guest directors such as Rita Guerrero. The chorus specializes in works that are no longer frequently performed, such as the Libre Vermell de Montserrat and El Canto de la Siliba. It is made up of students from various majors and was formed in 2005.

A number of the university’s activities are held in partnership with other academic and cultural institutions. The university has a partnership program with UNAM

Unam

UNAM or UNaM may refer to:* National University of Misiones, a National University in Posadas, Argentina*National Autonomous University of Mexico , the large public autonomous university based in Mexico City...

 for activities related to teaching, research, community outreach and culture, especially with regards to technical and technological issues. It will allow students of both institutions to attended classes in both places and the two will sponsor a number of joint academic events.

In conjunction with the Fundación del Centro Historico (Historic Center Foundation), the university has published a guide to restaurants, taco stands, cantinas and other eateries located in the oldest part of Mexico City. The guide is called “Guia para Comer Bien en el Centro Historico” (Guide to Eating Well in the Historic Center).

The school is involved with the organization with sponsors the annual “Festival de México” in the historic center to hold conferences and a contest related to the history of cooking in Mexico called Concursos Historias y Sabores de México and Menú de Bicentenario. The objective is to recognize and conserves Mexican gastronomic traditions

Mexican cuisine

Mexican cuisine, a style of food that originates in Mexico, is known for its varied flavors, colourful decoration and variety of spices and ingredients, most of which are native to the country. The cuisine of Mexico has evolved through thousands of years of blending indigenous cultures, with later...

 through research in preparation of the Bicentennial of Mexico’s independence in 2010

Celebration of Mexican political anniversaries in 2010

In 2010, Mexico celebrated both the 200th anniversary of its Independence and 100th anniversary of its Revolution. The entire year was proclaimed by President Felipe Calderón as "Año de la Patria", or "Year of the Nation." 16 September 1810 is the day of the "Grito de Dolores" or Miguel Hidalgo's...

. Participants not only must prepare a representative dish, but also document the dish’s history and significance. Another aspect of this event is to work with restaurants in the historic center to prepare special menus for the 2010 Festival de México. The festival ticket would include one dinner from one of these menus

Outside of Mexico City, the university organized a “poetry slam” event as part of the 23rd Feria Internacional de Libro

Guadalajara International Book Fair

The Guadalajara International Book Fair, better known as the FIL is the most important annual event of its kind in the Spanish-speaking world, and the second largest book fair in the world after Frankfurt's. Created in 1987, the FIL is put on by the University of Guadalajara...

 in Guadalajara in 2009. The participants performed original works which were then rated by a panel of poets and rappers. The event was titled “A ritmo de poesía” (To the beat of poetry). The reason the school sponsored the event was to show that poetry is available to all.