Instituto Cultural de Cabañas

Lonely Planet review

Standing proudly at the east end of the brilliant Plaza Tapatía is another of Guadalajara's architectural gems. Inside its Unesco-certified, neoclassical bones are a school, cultural institute and museum. Founded by Bishop Don Juan Cruz Ruiz de Cabañas and designed by Spanish architect Manuel Tolsá, it was built between 1805 and 1810 as an orphanage and home for invalids and remained so for 150 years, housing 450 children at once.

There are citrus trees and rose gardens in the 23 stone courtyards; temporary photography, painting and sculpture exhibitions; and occasional video installations. But the murals in the main rotunda are the highlight.

Between 1938 and 1939 José Clemente Orozco channeled the archetypal struggle for freedom into these 57 murals, widely regarded as his finest works. They seethe with dark, unnerving and distinctly modern images of fire, armor, broken chains, blood and prayer. Given the issues of Orozco's era, they almost certainly serve as a warning against fascism and any institution that subverts humanity to cultivate power. The museum also features a permanent exhibition of more than 100 Orozco drawings (mostly sketches for his on-site murals). Free tours in English and Spanish are available.