In Mexico there are many museums to visit, but one that will grasp the attention rapidly is the National Museum of Viceroyalty of New Spain (Museo Nacional del Virreinato). This
institution is located in Tepoztlan, Mexico State, Mexico. This museum stands in the complex of what used to be the San Francisco Javier College.
The National Museum of Viceroyalty is part of the National Council for Culture and the Arts in Mexico. This gallery was built by the Jesuits in 1580s. As a matter of fact, the main goal for the construction of this institution was to have three areas of learning, these areas were called schools and were divided for indigenous language to be taught to Jesuits evangelists, school for Indian boys and the College of San Francisco Javier to train the Jesuit priests.
Hence, after the brief summary, there’s a question in the air, Why is this museum so important to learn about? The museum is one of the most captivating in Mexico because of the collection it has and the aesthetics of the building. The former college of San Francisco Javier was remodeled for about three years and it occurred during the presidency of Adolfo Lopez Mateos. The look and collection since inauguration are still the same. The structure has a number of courtyards, domestic chapel, library, dormitories, refectory and kitchen. There’s also a three hectares garden filled with sculptures, and the original Salta de Agua fountain.
The museum’s collection is based on many liturgical pieces from the Museum of Religious Art
which at some point was part of the Mexico City Cathedral. Most of the pieces are made from
ivory, wood and a paste made from corn stalks, and many other materials. The religious
vestments include chasubles, dalmatic stoles, capes and bags for corporals and maniples. Also,
there is a lot of work done with precious metals.
This gallery holds prominent artwork and objects related to the colonial period in Mexico. The
collection is one of the largest from the Mexican Colonial Era. To just mention a few artworks,
there’s approximately twenty paintings by Cristobal de Villalpando, and some creations by Juan
Correa, Miguel Cabrera, and Jose de Ibarra.
Thoroughly, the museum includes services like guided tours, a library with a specialization in
colonial history and a bookstore. Within the complex there is a lodging and restaurant facility.
Since 1963, there are posadas (Christmas pageants) and nativity plays taking place there and
delicious hot drink is served.
Finally, all that can be said is that whenever there is a chance to plan a vacation to Mexico, one
of the must-go places is this museum and there might be a lot of fun and learning gained.
*TheBellaTwins1445, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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