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NORTH AMERICA > Mexico > Mexico city

Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum

August 27th, 2012 by Enrique Perez Huerta
Enrique Perez Huerta
Mexico city, Mexico, North America
+ More stories from Enrique Perez Huerta
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Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
01/22
Caption
Beautiful Moorish style columns, unique in Mexico.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
02/22
Caption
Columns and corridors will be exhibition spaces of the new museum called National Centre for Apparel, Textile Design and Music.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
03/22
Caption
Beautiful details between Spanish baroque and Moorish.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
04/22
Caption
Beautiful details between Spanish baroque and Moorish.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
05/22
Caption
Corridors of the cloister that has survived time, deterioration and destruction.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
06/22
Caption
Corridors of the cloister that has survived time, deterioration and destruction.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
07/22
Caption
Corridors of the cloister that has survived time, deterioration and destruction.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
08/22
Caption
Corridors of the cloister that has survived time, deterioration and destruction.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
09/22
Caption
Corridors of the cloister that has survived time, deterioration and destruction.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
10/22
Caption
Corridors of the cloister that has survived time, deterioration and destruction.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
11/22
Caption
Corridors of the cloister that has survived time, deterioration and destruction.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
12/22
Caption
Corridors of the cloister that has survived time, deterioration and destruction.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
13/22
Caption
Corridors of the cloister that has survived time, deterioration and destruction.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
14/22
Caption
Corridors of the cloister that has survived time, deterioration and destruction.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
15/22
Caption
Corridors of the cloister that has survived time, deterioration and destruction.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
16/22
Caption
Corridors of the cloister that has survived time, deterioration and destruction.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
17/22
Caption
Corridors of the cloister that has survived time, deterioration and destruction.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
18/22
Caption
Columnd and Corridors of the cloister that has survived time, deterioration and destruction now be a museum.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
19/22
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Columnd and Corridors of the cloister that has survived time, seen here in remodeling.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
20/22
Caption
Columnd and Corridors of the cloister that has survived time, seen here in remodeling.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
21/22
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Corridors of the "La Meced cloister" that has survived time, deterioration and destruction.
Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
22/22
Caption
Corridors of the "La Meced cloister" that has survived time, deterioration and destruction.
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
  • Cloister of La Merced built in 17th century converted into a museum
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Built by the first Spanish friars of Mercedarian order who arrived in Mexico, La Merced Cloister is considered one of the first and most beautiful religious buildings in Mexico and Latin America by its Mudejar style, soon to be a museum.

The History of the cloister of the old convent La Merced in Mexico City is full of ups and downs throughout time, was saved from demolition after the religious left him because of the reform laws in the years of 1855 and 1863,stage of monastic life, but also passionate loves, also served as a military barracks, warehouse, canteen and shelter was an educational adventure for children and workers sculptors, hosting school that gave rise to the art school now known as "La Esmeralda".

The building, declared Historical Monument on June 13, 1932, occupies two thousand 400 square meters and it is performed engineering work, replacement of electrical and sanitary installations, so that in successive phases start restoring arches and columns carved in stone.

Currently the cloister, is one of the few examples of Mudejar style in a colonial building preserved in Mexico, is now restored by the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico (INAH), to be reopened as the National Centre for Apparel, Textile Design and Music.

For the purpose of expanding by about 80 percent the space for the exhibition of collections are in plans to put a modern tempered glass cover over the courtyard, which also protects the building from contamination and weather.

The museum script will be the history of clothing and folk music of Mexico from the Conquest to the present day, through representative pieces from the collections of museums of the Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico. Will also feature the latest in lighting technology and temperature control for conservation of objects.

The Institute of Anthropology of Mexico in 2010 undertook the restoration of the cloister of the former Convent of La Merced, to accommodate there the National Centre for Apparel, Textile Design and Music, and is expected to be opened before the current President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon Hinojosa leaves President office in December 2012.

Submitted by
Enrique Perez Huerta
Mexico city, Mexico, North America
+ More stories from Enrique Perez Huerta
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