Colegio de San Ildefonso, currently is a museum and cultural center in Mexico City, considered to be the birthplace of the Mexican muralism movement.

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.

[1][4] The school reached its height in the 18th century, becoming one of the most important educational institutions in Mexico City, along with the university.

These Laws secularized most of Church property, including the San Ildefonso College building.

[2] In 1867, Benito Juárez began reform of the educational system, taking it out of clerical hands and making it a government function.

[1] The complex remained a separate entity until 1929, when the Universidad Nacional gained autonomy, meaning it became independent of the government, though still government-sponsored.

[2][3] In the 1920s, soon after the Mexican Revolution, the government sponsored mural paintings with themes centering on Mexico's history and politics of the post-Revolution era.

[7] Painters who contributed mural work include Ramón Alva de la Canal, Fermin Revueltas, Fernando Leal, José Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Jean Charlot.

The museum hosts temporary art and archeological exhibits focusing on both Mexican and foreign cultures.

The facade is a long wall which is covered in tezontle, a blood-red porous volcanic stone, with windows and doors arranged unevenly and pilasters dividing the façade horizontally.

[4] Vertical pilasters made of chiluca, another kind of white stone, divide the facade, which has two levels with the lower one being larger.

[2] There are two extremely large portals done in cantera with supporting relieves done in "tecali", a very white, almost transparent marble.

The school part has three floors with a monumental staircase and contains most of the mural work done at San Ildefonso, and most of this was done by José Clemente Orozco between 1922 and 1927.

The situation was resolved when David Alfaro Siqueiros met with Education Minister José Vasconcelos to arrange payment in gold coins.

The southern wall of the stairway leading to the third floor is occupied by a mural by French artist Jean Charlot entitled The Conquest of Tenochtitlan.

[1] It contains the elaborately-carved choir stalls that belonged to the Convent of San Agustin, created by Salvador Ocampo with relief work in wood.

In addition to a number of paintings, this room also has an elaborately carved professor's chair that was made for the Preparatory School.

[2] While the Colegio Chico has undergone significant modifications since it was built onto the main college in the 18th century, it remains intact to this day.

[1] The portals of the San Ildefonso Street side of the complex are no longer open for public access.

[1] Named Epopeya bolivariana, it is a historical piece done in nine panels depicting the heroes that fought for independence in the various countries of the Americas.

Despite the mixture of styles and concepts, this mural contains some of the features that would become Rivera trademarks: generous curves in the human form, Mexican nationalist elements, geometric structure of the composition, and groupings of famous persons.

[1] Other paintings here include works by Emilio Garcia Cahera, Ernesto García Cabral, and Angel Bolivar.