Colegio de San Ildefonso

Of all the museums in Mexico City, the Colegio de San Ildefonso impressed me the most. It was my first time seeing the works of some of Mexico’s most prominent and influential artists and muralists of the 20th century.

The Colegio de San Ildefonso is one of the museums in Mexico City that is free to visit on Sunday.

The Rich People - Jose Clemente Orozco at the Colegio San Ildefonso

The College of San Ildefonso dates from 1583 and was the result of the merger of the Jesuit seminaries San Bernardo, San Miguel and San Gregorio in 1583, named in honour of in honour of the Holy Archbishop of Toledo.

After King Charles III expelled the Jesuits in 1767 the building served as the headquarters for a battalion of the Flanders Regiment, the temporary headquarters for the School of Jurisprudence and headquarters for American and French troops in 1847 and 1862, respectively.

After the war against France in 1867, it became the headquarters of the National Preparatory School until 1980 when it was closed.

In 1992, the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the government of Mexico joined forces to fully restore this historical building and in March 1994, opened to the public as a museum.

And now you can admire murals by Mexico’s most prominent muralists: Diego Rivera, Fernando Leal, Jean Charlot, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Ramón Alva de la Canal, Fermín Revueltas and José Clemente Orozco.

This post is based on my visit in 2022. and features work mostly by Rafael Cauduro. A revisit to one of the best art museums in Mexico City is overdue!