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Caricature Museum, Christ College Building

The Caricature Museum is dedicated to one of the most popular and politically significant graphic arts in the city, and in the history or Mexico. Widely used since the 19th century, for international visitors, it’s also one of the easiest ways to jump into some of Mexico’s complicated and seemingly obscure history. Opened in 1987, the museum celebrates some of the best cartoonists and caricaturists of the past century and a half.

The Christ College Building

The 104 Donceles Street building was built as a residence hall for the Colegio de Cristo. The institution received a royal charter in 1612. An original building on the same site dated from the 17th century, but the present building was constructed between 1770 and 1780. An outstanding example of Baroque residential design, façade is often compared with that of the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, where students who lived here would have attended classes after the merger of the two institutions in 1775. The Colegio was also associated with that of San Pedro y San Pablo.

This building was referred to as a college (colegio) because the students received stipends in order to live here. Today a visit to the Caricature museum is rewarding for both students of the graphic political history of the modern country, and for those interested in outstanding colonial architecture, too. It’s also a fun stop on the must-visit street of Donceles, one of the city’s absolute oldest.

Heart of México Walking Route: Loreto - San Ildefonso

In his will, Cristóbal de Vargas y Valadés left funds for the foundation of a college in the capital of the viceroyalty. The Colegio de Cristo was thus built by 1638 and it served students until 1740 by which time it was in decline. By 1750, the construction of the current building began. Its baroque façade and adjoining cloister was capable of housing forty students. Six years later, only twenty-four students remained. In 1972 Arturo Ripstein filmed part of the movie "El castillo de la pureza" in the school. Today it houses the Caricature Museum.