Houses of the Mayorazgo de Guerrero

[3] The two houses were founded in the 16th century by Juan Guerrero de Luna and his wife Beatriz Gomez Davila, after receiving a grant of the land to the family by Spanish king Felipe II.

Artist José Guadalupe Posada lived and worked in this building from the end of the 19th century until his death in 1913 after losing his former studios.

[5] In the 1980s, the main house was being used by the Dept of Prehistory of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, with the servants’ building accommodating shops and apartments.

[3] The main house lacks many of the spectacular architectural details that distinguish other residences such as the Palace of Iturbide, but it does have a number of interesting elements.

The parapet has a niche with an image of the Virgin, flanked by two semi-detached estipite (inverted truncated pyramid) columns with Corinthian capitals formed by acanthus leaves.

[3] Inside, the building has two patios with independent entrances to the street as well as a doorway that connect them to each other In the main stairwell is a fresco done by Rufino Tamaño from 1933 which is dedicated to music.

[1][3] These, too, are a reference to the Virgin Mary, as she is said to be “as beautiful as the moon and as bright as the sun.” However, these images, as well as the names of the family associated with the property have given rise to a legend as to their existence.