[1] Today, the palace houses the main headquarters of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH).

[2] During the Aztec Empire, the land on which this building is located was part of the teocalli, or sacred precinct of Tenochtitlan.

The site of the current palace was sold to Francisco de Fagoaga y Arósqueta, who was in charge of minting and the collection of the king's share of precious metals mined in Mexico.

[1] Fagoaga commissioned architect Manuel Tolsá, who built a number of other structures in the city to design, to build this palace between 1795 and 1805.

[5] In the first decade of the 19th century, the topmost floor was remodeled and prepared to become the residence of Fernando VII of Spain.

[2] After the Mexican Revolution, it became government property, and it was remodeled to become the seat of the Secretaria de Justicia e Instrucción Pública.

[4] In 1962, architect Jorge L. Medellín and engineer Manuel M. Haro it was remodeled again, modernizing its electrical system and pipes.

Starting in 1995, a hydraulic system to inject and extract water into and from the subsoil was developed, buried forty meters under the building.

Much of the building's sinking is due to dropping water tables underneath Mexico City because of the overpumping of groundwater for drinking.

[2] Since 2005, it has been with the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, which uses it as its main headquarters and has restored much of its decorative work.