Casa Fortaleza de Emilio el Indio Fernández

The Emilio Fernández House is a tribute to Mexican actor, screenwriter, and director Emilio Fernandez (1904–1986). Today, it’s a quiet museum on a tree-lined street in Coyoacán.

The mansion built almost entirely from volcanic rock, is largely as it was when Fernandez lived here and gives visitors a direct look into the 1940s and ’50s. Built by architect Manuel Parra, his remains are actually still in the garden. The house was modified a few times in the years leading up to the actor’s death, but it’s most famous now for having been the set of about 140 movies.

The Fernández collection includes baptismal fonts and religious statuary rescued from monasteries in Puebla. Likewise, the use of Talavera mosaic tile was extensive throughout the property. There’s also a collection of memorabilia related to the cinema life of “el Indio.”

As it’s not anything like the most visited house museum in the city, one can expect the number of other visitors to be limited, although reservations are not necessary. Staircases are quite narrow and could present a problem for some visitors.

Guided tours  offer deeper insights into the life of Emilio Fernandez and the Golden Age of Mexican cinema in the 1940s and 1950s.