Galerías Castillo

The Galerías Castillo has an unenviable view of the alley just outside the National Museum of Art. Then again, it’s probably the biggest fine art showcase in the country. The gallery has been at it for decades.

The gallery’s founder, José Castillo, began by working in a gallery in the roughly seven-block-long tunnel between the Metro stations Zócalo and Pino Suárez. Today that’s known as the La Pasaje Zócalo-Pino Suárez subway passage – the bookstore tunnel.

Castillo learned art restoration and built a massive collection of his own. He moved to the Marconi Street location in 2015.

Today on his walls you’ll find prints of works by Rufino Tamayo, Janitzio Escalera, Francisco Toledo, Pedro Friedeberg, Leonardo Nierman and Sebastian. A collection of antique European art is said to be exceptionally good.

The gallery boasts an in-store collection of some 2,500 works. There’s a lot to get through. They also pride themselves on exceptional customer service and guidance for those new to such purchases.

The Building

The building was once known as “La Corona” and built in the 1930s by the Mexican Guarantee Company (Compañía Mexicana de Garantías) for their offices. In 1994, it was adapted for its current use, holding mostly offices of the Bank of Mexico.