Franz Mayer Museum, Art museum in Historic downtown of Mexico City, Mexico
The Franz Mayer Museum is an art museum in the historic downtown of Mexico City that displays furniture, ceramics, glass, and silverwork spanning several centuries. The collection covers objects from the colonial period through the 19th century, arranged across multiple galleries surrounding a central arcaded courtyard.
The building served as the San Juan de Dios hospital from the late 16th century until the 20th century before being converted. It opened as a museum in 1986 after a trust took charge of the collection.
The museum carries the name of a German-born collector whose passion for viceregal-era craftsmanship shaped the entire collection. Visitors walk through rooms arranged by material and technique, seeing how artisans from different regions worked with silver, wood, and clay during colonial times.
The museum sits on Plaza Santa Veracruz in the historic center and is easily reached on foot. Visitors exploring the collection can join guided tours or use the specialized library focused on decorative arts.
A German-born stockbroker and financier gathered every piece over decades and arranged a trust before his death in 1975. The collection remained in Mexico after his passing and was later housed in this former hospital.
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