Formerly the home of a Jesuit college, the Baroque Palacio Clavijero is today a center of culture and the arts. See the rooms where students received an education during the 17th and 18th centuries, now used as exhibition and performance spaces.
Visit the exhibition halls, which are located around the main courtyard. Go to room four for the cultural center's only permanent exhibit, called Michoacano Landscape. It features artworks from the 1800s and 1900s, including paintings by Gerardo Murillo Cornado, a Mexican painter who signed his works Dr. Atl. There are also pieces by Luis Sahagun Cortés, a 20th-century Mexican artist. The remaining halls are used for temporary exhibits. Previous exhibitions have covered photographic and contemporary artworks, among other genres.
After your tour of the art on display, explore more of the building. Stand next to the fountain in the main courtyard and admire the simple architectural beauty of the surrounding pink stone façades. Another interesting feature is the relief of the Mexican coat of arms above the palace’s main entrance.
View Montañas de Michoacán, a spectacular mural by Adolfo Mexiac. The painting covers several walls and the interior of the building's dome. It features important figures in the history of the Mexican state of Michoacán. They include Vasco de Quiroga, the first bishop of Michoacán.
The cultural center is open every day except Monday and admission is free. To find out what’s on at the center during your time in Morelia, follow its social media sites. In addition to exhibitions and workshops, there are open-air concerts of varied music genres.
Palacio Clavijero is located in the historic center of Morelia, which encompasses more than 200 historical buildings and monuments and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The other landmark structures include the baroque-style Cathedral of Morelia and the Casa Natal de Morelos, the mansion where Mexican revolutionary José María Morelos was born in 1765. For parking, look for free spots in the streets close to the cultural center or use the paid parking garages in the vicinity.
