Government Palace of Chihuahua

Government Palace of Chihuahua

The Government Palace of Chihuahua (Palacio de Gobierno de Chihuahua) is a 19th century building in the city of Chihuahua, Mexico. Located in the heart of the city, it is of special interest since it houses the executive offices of the governor of the state of Chihuahua and, until 2004, the state legislature met here. The building is a landmark in the city as it contains a shrine commemorating the execution of Miguel Hidalgo, considered the Father of the Country, who died at the hands of a Spanish firing squad on July 30, 1811. The "Altar de la Patria", or "Altar of the Motherland" is located at the exact spot where Fr Hidalgo died.

History

Originally, a Jesuit College stood on the site. In 1767 the Society of Jesus was expelled from New Spain, and the building remained abandoned until it was converted into a military hospital in 1790, and was acquired by the Federal Government in 1859 after the Laws of Reform had been passed by the liberal regime of President Benito Juarez.

The old building was razed in 1878 after being turned over to the State Government, and the new Government Palace was begun in 1881 under the administration of Governor Luis Terrazas and placed under the supervision of Engineer-Architect Pedro Ignacio Irigoyen, with the assistence of Enrique Esperón and Carlos Moreno. A new street was opened and the old site of the Jesuit College was divided into two squares by Calle Libertad. The Government Palace occupies the lot south of Libertad, while on the northern side of the street stood the Chihuahua Federal Branch Mint, built after the demolition of the former college, demolished in turn in 1908, and is now the site of the Museo Casa Chihuahua, once the Federal Palace of Chihuahua, which was itself inaugurated in 1910.

It took almost ten years to complete the work, and on September 11, 1891 the building was ready for occupancy, being officially inaugurated on June 1, 1892 by Governor Lauro Carrillo. The palace had originally two storeys and was built in neoclassic style from limestone. Its cost was put at $388,130.19 (pesos).

On Saturday, June 21, 1941 the palace suffered extensive damage by fire which gutted the structure; however, it was totally restored and a third floor was added, and the building was re-inaugurated in 1947. The project of reconstruction was done under the charge of Engineers Enrique Miller, Manuel O'Reilly and Carlos Ochoa.

In 1959, then-Governor Teofilo Borunda ordered the decoration of some of the first-floor inside walls with a series of murals illustrating the history and the economy of the state. Muralist Aarón Piña Mora was chosen to do the work and the first panel to be painted was the one illustrating the death of Miguel Hidalgo. When President Adolfo Lopez Mateos visited the city in 1962 he recommended that the work continue. The entire first floor and part of the second floor are now covered with murals painted by one of Mexico's renowned muralists.

tyle and Architecture

The palace is designed and decorated in the neoclassic style, with the first floor of the Doric order, the second of the Ionic and the third a hybrid style. The "Patio Central" was decorated with a sculpture which represents the four races of humanity; however it eventually was moved to "El Parque España", one of the parks in the city centre.

In 2004 under the administration of Governor Patricio Martinez the Government Palace was restored and such features as the State Coat of Arms was added and the sculpture of 'The Four Races' was installed once again in the Central Patio. A statue of Miguel Hidalgo was also erected.

Gallery



See also: in Wikimedia Commons

External Lynks

*http://www.municipiochihuahua.gob.mx/historia/edificios.aspx
*http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/chihuahua/


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Chihuahua, Chihuahua — This article is about the City of Chihuahua. For the state of Chihuahua, see Chihuahua (state). For the municipality of Chihuahua, see Chihuahua Municipality. For other uses, see Chihuahua (disambiguation). City of Chihuahua… …   Wikipedia

  • Chihuahua (state) — For other uses, see Chihuahua (disambiguation). Chihuahua Estado Libre y Soberano de Chihuahua   State   …   Wikipedia

  • Museums of Chihuahua — Main article: Chihuahua, Chihuahua The Mexican city of Chihuahua was founded in 1709 and has a rich history which is reflected in the museums that are found there, which range in subject matter from prehistoric times to the modern day. Museo Casa …   Wikipedia

  • Museo Casa Chihuahua — The Casa Chihuahua Museum. The Museo Casa Chihuahua, once known as the Federal Palace of Chihuahua, is an early 20th century building in the city centre of Chihuahua, Chih., Mexico. It served as the federal building for the city until 2004, when… …   Wikipedia

  • List of palaces — This is a list of palaces by country. For main article please see palace Afghanistan * Darul Aman Palace * Tajbeg Palace Argentina * Casa Rosada Presidential residence in Buenos Aires * San Martin Palace Austria * Belvedere Palace former summer… …   Wikipedia

  • Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla — For the district of Mexico City, see Miguel Hidalgo, D.F.. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Generalísimo of the Mexican Army …   Wikipedia

  • Aarón Piña Mora — (Born 1918) is a Mexican painter and muralist.He was born in Metztitlan in the state of Hidalgo, and moved with his family, at an early age, to Mexico City. From 1930 to 1933 he attended the School of Drawing and Sculpture of the Plastic Arts at… …   Wikipedia

  • Museo Casa Juárez — The Casa Juarez Museum. The Museo de la Lealtad Republicana (Museum of the Republican Loyalty), also known as the Museo Casa Juarez, is 19th century building in the city centre of Chihuahua, Chih., Mexico. It housed the constitutional government… …   Wikipedia

  • Monterrey — This article is about the Mexican city. For other uses, see Monterrey (disambiguation). Monterrey   City   Ciudad de Monterrey City of Monterrey …   Wikipedia

  • Cuernavaca —   City Municipality   Toward cathedral from Palace of Cortes …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”