College of San Ildefonso

The former college of San Ildefonso, in Mexico City

The former college of San Ildefonso is one of the finest examples of the colonial architecture of Mexico City, a former great centre of teaching built in 1588. The Mexico City audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this imposing baroque building, one of the most important colleges of New Spain, later become the cradle of the famous Mexican muralism.

The great college of New Spain

This imposing building is one of the finest examples of the colonial architecture of Mexico City. It was built in 1588, nearly seventy years after the arrival of the colonists and the collapse of the Aztec civilisation. During the decades that followed the conquest, the Spaniards engaged in a great process of evangelisation to convert the indigenous population to Christianity, building colleges throughout the city, devoted to religious education. The college of San Ildefonso was one of the most important of Mexico City in the seventeenth century, renowned for the quality of its teaching, at once college and university. Victim of its success, it was enlarged between 1712 and 1749 to host an ever-growing number of students, becoming one of the greatest cultural centres of the capital, and then took the baroque physiognomy you see it by, with its arcaded courts, its patios and its monumental staircases. But its modern fame holds especially to another episode: at the beginning of the twentieth century, its walls hosted the first great frescoes of Mexican muralism, painted by Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros, making the college the cradle of this major artistic movement. Today a museum and cultural centre, it keeps this exceptional heritage. A colonial building and a cradle of muralism, the former college of San Ildefonso is a fine stop of the discovery of Mexico City.

What to see

Here you discover one of the finest colonial buildings of Mexico City, built in 1588 then enlarged in the eighteenth century, one of the most important colleges and universities of New Spain, with a baroque architecture adorned with arcaded courts; its walls hosted in the twentieth century the first great frescoes of Mexican muralism, signed by Rivera, Orozco and Siqueiros. The former college of San Ildefonso is the cradle of muralism. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The former college of San Ildefonso lies in the historic centre of Mexico City, near the Templo Mayor, reachable on foot or by metro. Become a museum and cultural centre, it can be visited according to the hours and conditions in force, which vary; access is generally paying. It is best to enquire before coming.

Why is the former college of San Ildefonso famous in Mexico City?

Because this great colonial college of 1588, one of the most important of New Spain, hosted at the beginning of the twentieth century the first great frescoes of Mexican muralism, painted by Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros; it is also one of the finest baroque buildings of Mexico City, today a museum and cultural centre.

Where is the former college of San Ildefonso in Mexico City?

In the historic centre of Mexico City, near the Templo Mayor, in Mexico.