Casa de La Ciudad

The Casa de la Ciudad is a place open to the general public where information about the origin, development and conservation of the historic center of Oaxaca can be found. It functions as a forum for the analysis of current urban development and its impact on the historic center. It spreads the values of architecture and historical city planning and seeks a more active participation of civil society in the protection, revitalization and renewal of the city patrimony within the current legal frame work. Of special interest are the general urban topics of water, garbage, urban sprawl, traffic as well as reflection on the city as a whole and the factors that contribute to its quality of life. The Casa de la Ciudad defends the development of a human and sustainable city both economically balanced and environmentally responsible.

History of the Building

The first mentions of a construction at the corner of the current streets of Porfirio Diaz and Morelos dates to 1707: “una casa de bajos y tienda”, located in the corner opposite the chapel of our Lady of Carmen and Lagrimas de San Pedro. The current building was constructed between 1775 and 1847, by which time it is described as:

"A house of high spaces and shallows, at the corner of Templo del Carmen, what they call the lower Templo del Carmen, at the end of the block to the east it joins with the above mentioned church. At the west and south block, it adjoins with the house of the Oratory of San Felipe Neri. And at the end of the block, at the north with the houses of Felix Gaetarro". In the 1920´s, Hotel Seggarra was located in this building, later the building housed the newspaper “The Foganza” . The municipality of Oaxaca bought the building and it was used for offices of the town hall. In 2003 the building was completely restored for the new user: the Casa de la Ciudad.

SERVICES

The facilities of Casa de la Ciudad are at the disposal of people or organizations that share our goals. It is necessary to contact our management for an agreement signed for both parts. The Casa de la Ciudad does not sponsor events with religious or political goals proselytism or private parties. Only non-profit activities are permitted.

ARCHIVE

The Casa de la Ciudad is possessor of the following information resources, all of which are currently expanding:

•A specialized Library on architecture and restoration

•An extensive map collection

•A photograph library, including:

Historical photos like the collection of Teobert Maler, made in Oaxaca at the end of the 19th century, or the Hamilton collection of panoramic photos of Oaxaca from the beginning of the 20th century.

The Casa de la Ciudad has established agreements with institutions like the General State Archive, the Bustamante Vasconcelos Foundation and the photographic collection of the Rivas family in order to make the contents of the archives available to the general public. Other important collections will be digitalized in order to preserve and spread its contents.

•A newspaper archive

Provided with two parts. The first part consists of articles of two local newspapers: Impartial and Noticias. Here one can find information related to architecture and urban life of Oaxaca . The second part consists of information from national and international newspapers about architecture and town planning in general.

Casa de La Ciudad

How To Get
The site is located just a few blocks from the zocalo, in front of the Iglesia del Carmen Bajo.

Open: Office hours: Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 15:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00
Exhibition hours: Monday to Sunday from 09:00 to 20:00
Contact: Porfirio Díaz 115, Esq. Morelos. Centro Histórico. C.P. 68000. Oaxaca, Oax.(951)51-69647 / 951 51-69648

Location map


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