San Ildefonso College

The San Ildefonso College currently is a museum and cultural center in Mexico City, considered to be the birthplace of the Mexican muralism movement. San Ildefonso began as a prestigious Jesuit boarding school, and after the Reform War, it gained educational prestige again as National Preparatory School. This school and the building closed completely in 1978, then reopened as a museum and cultural center in 1992. The museum has permanent and temporary art and archeological exhibitions in addition to the many murals painted on its walls by José Clemente Orozco, Fernando Leal, Diego Rivera and others. The complex is located between San Ildefonso Street and Justo Sierra Street in the historic center of Mexico City.

The Jesuits arrived in Mexico in 1572. With evangelization of the native population mostly complete in central Mexico, this order soon turned to establishing schools, especially schools for Creole youth. They founded numerous colleges both in Mexico City and the outlying provinces, but the most important of these was San Ildefonso, founded in 1588. In 1618, it merged with the old San Pedro y San Pablo College, which was nearly in ruins, and gained a royal seal from Philip III of Spain.

Although administered by friars, the education here was not solely dedicated to religious matters. San Ildefonso was not a college in the modern sense of the word, but rather more like a boarding residence and school. Young men lived and studied at the school, which did offer classes, but San Ildefonso's students were also enrolled in the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico, taking classes there and with the old faculty of San Pedro y San Pablo.

In the early 18th century, student population at the school has grown such that building expansion was needed. Work was begun on extending the building in 1712 and completed in 1749. This section of the complex is now known as the "Colegio Chico" (Small College) as opposed to the original section, called the "Colegio Grande" (Large College). The facade of both sections, which faces San Ildefonso Street, was constructed around this time as well.

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