Unlike many cathedrals in Mexico, this one does not face the city's main square, but rather is located just to the south, in its own walled compound, which it shares with a number of other structures.

Unlike the other monastery structures from its time, the importance of this church provoked a number of renovation projects, the last of which occurred in 1957.

This renovation work also uncovered a 17th-century mural that covers 400 square metres (4,300 sq ft) of the interior walls and narrates the story of Philip of Jesus and twenty three other missionaries who were crucified in Japan.

These monasteries were built to evangelize and subdue the indigenous populations shortly after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.

These monasteries began the evangelization effort which would spread south towards Oaxaca and Central America then later throughout the colony of New Spain.

[6] The original purpose of the monastery organization was the evangelization of the local indigenous peoples, and later to house and train missionaries to other parts of New Spain.

Like other monasteries of the time, it was built with large, tall, thick walls and with merlons in order to defend the new missionaries from still hostile native peoples.

Visiting friar Alonso Ponce wrote in 1585 that the complex was finished and well constructed, and included the church, dormitory and gardens.

[6] However, only the outer shell of the main church, along with the ground floor arches of the cloister remain from the earliest construction, due to subsequent remodeling projects.

Of the fourteen early monastery complexes recognized by the World Heritage organization, this is the only one which has experienced large scale changes since it was built.

[4][5] In the 17th century, modifications were made to the church, beginning with the construction of two chapels to give it the layout of a Latin cross.

[6] In 1713, a vault similar to a cupola with a “liternilla” and a bell tower on the southeast corner were added to the structure.

[6] The buildings and grounds of the monastery/parish remained the same until the latter 19th century, when the Reform Laws closed down and expropriated many monasteries and convents in Mexico.

The La Asuncion de Maria monastery was closed and lost most of its lands and many of its buildings, leaving what remains to this day.

Reconstruction was ordered by Father Vicente Salinas y Riveras and supervised by José Gonzaléz Belauzaran.

In the early 20th century, part of the complex was taken over by Carranza-allied General Pablo González Garza to use as a headquarters during the Mexican Revolution.

The outer layers of plaster were removed, exposing mural work from the 18th century, which covers almost all of the walls of the main nave.

This forms the rest of the area or atrium into the shape of an L. This overall layout is the same as it was when it was originally built, although it is somewhat smaller due to subsequent construction.

The overall form of this, which used to be only the inner sanctum of the monastery and its lands, was purposefully built away from the population center to give a sense of isolation to both the monks and those visiting.

The open chapel here was used not only for Mass, but also for plays, music dance and other events designed to explain and reinforce the faith.

The mural covers 400 m² of both side walls of the main nave of the church and tells the story of the arrival and martyrdom of Philip of Jesus and other missionaries in Japan.

One scholar by the name of Luis Islas Garcia, believes that the artist was a native of Asia who resided in the monastery, assisted by local indigenous people.

However, Father Diego Yuki of a museum dedicated to the martyrs in Nagasaki believes that the mural as a purely local work.

[11] The story of the mural begins with Pope Innocence II blessing the 23 missionaries, who later arrived to Japan from the Philippines.

The emperor of Japan, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, offered to spare his life as he had not preached Christianity, but Philip refused and was crucified with the others.

This collection is the result of a number of people but it is considered to have been begun by Francisco Plancarte y Navarrete, the second bishop of Cuernavaca.

His personal collection of pre-Hispanic artifacts and rare examples of religious art became part of a historical museum house in two rooms of the Episcopal Palace.

Efforts by Juan Dubernard Chavenau, a textile manufacturer and others such as a Mexican project called “Adopt a Work of Art” eventually convinced the INAH to build more suitable facilities at the complex.

To construct it, native workers were conscripted from a number of villages around Cuernavaca including de Tletlama, Cuentepec, Miacatla, Temixco, San Francisco Coatlán, Mazatepec, San Miguel Coatlán, Cuauchichinola, Huajitlán, Panchimalco, Tlatenchi, Huitzila, Coajomulco, Ocotepec, Temilpa, Santa María Ahuecatitla, Tetela y Tlaltenango.

The first room is dedicated to Catholic liturgy and includes La Diosa Tonantzin, a fertility goddess discovered beneath the main altar as well as priestly vestments and other liturgical objects and paintings.