Archivo Histórico de la Ciudad de México Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora, Colonial archives in Centro Histórico, Mexico City, Mexico.
The Historical Archive of Mexico City occupies a restored 18th-century building at República de Chile 8, featuring a facade carved in detailed stone work. Inside, the institution houses over four linear kilometers of administrative records, maps, and collections that span nearly five centuries of the city's past.
The archive collection originated in 1524 when local government was established during the early Spanish colonial period in New Spain. The current building dates to the 18th century and was later restored to properly house the extensive collection of records accumulated over those centuries.
The name honors Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora, a 17th-century scholar and mathematician whose efforts to save documents helped shape how the city preserves its past. Walking through the archive, you encounter records that show how daily life, urban planning, and local governance changed across centuries.
Visitors must present official identification and wear protective gloves and masks when consulting documents during weekday opening hours. It helps to contact the archive in advance about which materials you want to see, as not everything is immediately available and some items require advance notice.
The archive takes its name from a scholar who rescued essential documents during a 1692 palace fire, an act that helped save the city's historical record during a moment of crisis. This rescue effort demonstrates how individual determination can protect cultural memory when institutions face their most fragile moments.
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