Balconies of forged iron banisters, pointed arches, lions, gargoyles and a fountain shaped like a shell, in which a mermaid plays the guitar are among the things you’ll see in this Baroque building from the 18th century (Francisco Guerrero y Torres), that opened its doors in 1964 as El Museo de la Ciudad de México. But before all that, it was the Palacio de los Condes de Santiago de Calimaya.
Upon entering the main patio, you’ll find buses from 1923, taxis from the 17th century and a chariot from the 18th century that complement the objective of the museum: To initiate a dialogue about history, art and other themes related to Mexico City. You’ll find a museum that was the study place of impressionist artist Joaquín Clausell (1866-1935), who worked here and utilized the walls of his bedroom as canvases, mixing paints and creating paintings from these ideas.
In November 2017, with the investment of 35 million pesos, the museum was remodeled and reopened its doors with an ambitious exhibition titled “La Ciudad de México en el arte.” It went back through eight centuries: A tour of the artwork that was born and inspired in our capital, featuring works by Frida Kahlo, José Clemente Orozco, Francis Alys, Abraham Cruzvillegas and more.
Equally, if not more so impressive, the building still conserves its pre-Hispanic elements like its limestone walls and the head of a snake at the southeast corner of the façade.