Palacio de Cortés

Lonely Planet review

Construction of this imposing fortress-style palace was accomplished between 1522 and 1532, and was done on the base of the pyramid that Cortés destroyed, still visible from various points on the ground floor. Cortés resided here until he turned tail for Spain in 1540. It remained with his family for most of the next century, but by the 18th century it was being used as a prison. During the Porfirio Díaz era, it became government offices.

Today the palace houses the Museo Regional Cuauhnáhuac, with two floors of exhibits highlighting Mexican cultures and history. On the ground floor, exhibits focus on pre-Hispanic cultures, including the local Tlahuica and their relationship with the Aztec empire. Upstairs, exhibits cover events from the Spanish conquest to the present. On the balcony is a fascinating mural by Diego Rivera, commissioned in the mid-1920s by Dwight Morrow, the US ambassador to Mexico. From right to left, scenes from the conquest up to the 1910 revolution emphasize the cruelty, oppression and violence that have characterized Mexican history.