-Palacio de Clavijero, is a majestic architectonic
compound of the 17th century. Its façade is arranged by two baroque
styled levels, while its interior is surprising for the dimensions
of its patio and also for the dome at the top of its staircase.
The Palace is known as Clavijero in memory of the Jesuit priest Francisco Javier Clavijero, author of the "Ancient History of Mexico" and the "Dialogue between Filiteles and Paleofile", who abandoned the Country when his Order was banned from Mexico in 1767. He would die twenty years later in Italy. His remains were brought back and are actually buried in the Rotonda de los Hombres Ilustres in Mexico City.
After the victory of the Independent Party in 1824, the Palace became the seat of the Congress of Michoacán. Nowadays its facilities are occupied by several bureaus of the government, besides an important public library and the José Ruben Romero Theatre.
The Palace of Clavijero was thoroughly refurbished between 1969 and 1970. It is located at 79 Nigromante Street, in the Historical Centre of Morelia.
-Palacio Municipal Morelia - Town Hall, it was
the seat of the colonial institution in charge of controlling the
elaboration and commerce of tobacco (only five existed in Nueva
España). Apart of its architectonical merits, the building is also
famous for having been the scenario from where the priest Miguel
Hidalgo y Costilla -father of the Independence of Mexico- declared
the abolition of slavery in 1810.
The Palace is a two story building and its interior has a solid archway, a stairway with the coat of arms of the City behind and an octagonal patio that is considered a real jewel from the architecture of Morelia.
In the year of 1846 the house was bought by the State of Michoacán, thanks to the efforts of its governor Melchor Ocampo. It is currently the seat of the municipality of Morelia. It is located at the corner of Allende and Nigromante Streets.
-Palace of Justice, is a beautiful casona (old
mansion) from 1885. Its façade shows clear French influences, which
contrast with its exquisitely baroque interiors. The second floor
of the casona exhibits decorative elements with pre-Hispanic influence
and over its main stairway stands out the pictorial works of the
artist Agustín Cárdenas, inspired on the First Court of Justice.
It is located facing the Mártires Square.
- Alhóndiga, is a baroque styled building that was
erected in 1774. It is positioned at one side of the Palace
of Justice though during its first years it was used as a wheat
storehouse (alhóndiga). In 1877 it was remodelled to enlarge
the penitentiary. At the present days it hosts the Civil Courtrooms
of Morelia.
-Acueducto, its construction was ordered in 1785 by Fray Antonio
de San Miguel, to end with the shortage of water the City was suffering
by that time. The ambitious work -a very large pink coloured snake-
was made using an old aqueduct from 1705 as its base, but which
was in bad conditions.
The new aqueduct would have 1.700 metres long and went through the old Calle Real Street (now Francisco I. Madero St.) and flowed into a mud pipe box from where water was distributed to 30 public fountains.
Along its distance, 253 arches finely carved in quarry stone, brought to this purpose from the Santa María Hill, can be seen. A true architectonical skill display that bestows a peculiar look to the urban heart of Morelia. It ceased functioning near the end of the 19th century.
-Museo Regional Michoacano, is one of the oldest
in the Country. It was founded in 1886 and through its halls can
be observed, in a most dynamic way, the historical process of the
State, beginning with its Pre-Hispanic roots and continuing through
the centuries until the present times.
The Museum contains different sectors, dedicated to Pre-Spanish times, colonial period, independence struggle, the chapter of the Reform and the porfiriato the long lasting government period of Porfirio Díaz, by the end of the 19th century and the beginnings of the 20th century. There are also exhibitions and boards about the geographical and ecological characteristics of Michoacán.
Its most cherished piece is a canvas titled "El Traslado de las Monjas" or "The Moving of the Nuns" (1738), which was considered by the renowned mural painter Diego Rivera as a rare testimony of history, sociology and ethnography.
The building where it is located is an old baroque styled edifice
from the 18th century that belonged to Isidro Huarte, a rich tradesman
and politician. It is situated at 305 Allende Street, in the Historical
Centre of
Morelia.
Attention to public is from Tuesdays to Saturdays between 9:00 am and 7:00 pm and between 9:00 am to 2:00 pm on Sundays.
-Museo del Estado, was inaugurated on August 11
of 1986. Its halls contain important collections of history, archaeology
and ethnology, making more comprehensible the profile of the population
of Michoacán. In its anteroom can be observed an exhibition of the
utilitarian tools and furniture of the antique Mier drugstore (1868)
The seat of the Museum is a casona from the 18th century, which was refurbished to host important testimonies of the State's rich history. It is situated at 176 Guillermo Prieto Street.
The Museum opens its doors Monday to Friday between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm and 4:00 to 7:00 pm. On Wednesdays there is a guides free service.
-Museo de Arte Colonial, within its reduced grandeur,
this small Museum exhibits a part of the rich religious and artistic
legacy from the colonial epoch. The exhibition comprises more than
100 highly valuable objects, standing out among all of them two
peculiar images of Christ (done with corn cane paste and a bondage
extracted from orchids), which were made by two indigenes during
the evangelizing period conducted by Vasco de Quiroga.
The Museum also contains several easel paintings signed by transcendental artists as Miguel Cabrera, Miguel Herrera y José Padilla, oil paintings, coin collections and documents from colonial times.
The building that hosts the Museum is also very attractive. It is an excellent baroque construction in which the first printing house of the City, called "Imprenta del Ejército Imperial de las Tres Garantías" formerly functioned since June 23 of 1821.
It is located in the intersection of the Benito Juárez and Santiago Tapia Streets.
-Museo Casa Natal Morelos, this was the home house
of the forerunner of Michoacán José María Morelos y Pavón. To celebrate
the bicentennial of his birth (September 30 of 1765), the authorities
from Michoacán decided to transform the baroque premises of the
mansion into the halls of a museum, one which would let to be known
and interpreted the life of this insigne son of Michoacán through
paintings, documents, photographs, furniture and other objects from
those times.
Besides the Museum itself, in this place is also housed the Archbishopric of Michoacán, a library specialised on the life and deeds of the forerunner, as well as conference, concerts and expositions rooms.
It is located in 113 Corregidora Street.
-Centro de Convenciones y Exposiciones de Morelia,
it is one of the most complete in its kind around Mexico. Through
a 15 hectares of extension lot had been erected modern facilities,
like a hotel with 251 rooms, a theatre, a planetarium, some squares
and an orchid's hatchery. It is situated South of
Morelia,
at the Ventura Avenue (no number), ten minute driving distance from
the Historical Centre.
- Orquidiario Alberto Oviedo Mota - Orchyd Hatchery,
in Mexico exist some 1.300 species of orchids, from which 200
can be found in Morelia. For this reason, in
June of 1980 it was decided to create a place for their preservation
and research, whereupon 3 green houses were built, two of them
for scientific purposes and the other that would remain open
to the public. Presently there are close to 2,260 orchyds, comprising
wild ones from all regions of Mexico and hybrids (totalling
671) from the crossings between similar species.
