Casa de la Covadonga, Heritage building in Historic downtown, Mexico City.
Casa de la Covadonga is a residential building with New Spanish Baroque style in downtown Mexico City, built with red-brown tezontle stone and quarry materials. The structure spans multiple levels and displays ornate architectural details on both its exterior and interior from that period.
Construction began in 1775 and the building opened in 1778 as an institution for Spanish maidens. In the 1790s it became a seminary, serving that purpose for decades until it was eventually secularized by Mexico's Reform Laws.
The building's name comes from a Marian apparition and reflects the religious importance it once held for the community. Today, its ornate facade and interior layout tell the story of its past as both an educational institution and later as housing for working families.
The building sits in Mexico City's historic center and is easily reached by public transportation. Access may be limited since it is an occupied residence, so it is best to check in advance whether visits are possible.
In the late 1800s the building was purchased by a foundation and converted into a vecindad, a traditional Mexican communal housing form where multiple families share a central courtyard. This transformation left a lasting mark on the original colonial baroque structure and reshaped how people lived inside it.
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