Palacio de Lecumberri

The Palacio de Lecumberri is a large building, formerly a prison, in the northeast of Mexico City, Mexico, which now houses the General National Archive (Archivo General de la Nación).

Known in popular culture as The Black Palace of Lecumberri, it served as a penitentiary from 1900 to 1976. It was inaugurated by President Porfirio Díaz. The building was decommissioned as a prison in 1976 and turned over to the country's National Archive in 1980. The National Archive is one of the oldest historical archives in the Americas.

Palacio de Lecumberri is located at the North East border of Mexico City's Federal District. The building was used as a prison from 1900–1976, and as the Country's National Archive from 1980 onwards.

The prison was mainly constructed to contain major political advisers of the opposing side, or other criminals to the nation from the time of operation. Construction began in 1888.

The inspiration and design of the Palacio is by Miguel S. Macedo, who was later on imprisoned there for several months during the Mexican Revolution. The design is said to have been based on that of Jeremy Bentham's Panopticon. This design allows for a single guard to observe all the prisoners without them being able to tell when the guard is looking; they therefore act as though they are always being watched.

The prison was built to hold 800 men, 180 women and 400 children. It had 804 cells, workshops, a nursery, cooking and baking workshops. There was also an area of government, a section dedicated to medical and waiting rooms.

The Diary of Lecumberri by Colombian Poet Álvaro Mutis, describes his time thereafter being imprisoned in 1958. The living conditions within the prison were very dangerous due the inmates' treatment by the guards or staff. Torture and beatings were common.Corruption was also present within the prison system.

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