Palacio Clavijero

The Palacio Clavijero, a former Jesuit college from the 17th century, is one of the finest examples of colonial architecture in Mexico. Its massive arcaded courtyard, surrounded by two levels of stone arches and columns, is one of the most photographed spaces in Morelia — serene, proportioned, and built to a scale that makes you feel the ambition of the Jesuits in New Spain. Today it houses government offices and a public library, and you can walk freely through the courtyard.

The street facade facing Calle Nigromante is worth examining closely — a long arcade at ground level with the upper stories punched by tall arched windows, all in the warm pink stone that defines the historic centre. The Mercado de Dulces, Morelia's famous candy market, occupies a section of the building and the adjacent street, giving the area a festive commercial energy that contrasts with the academic solemnity of the courtyard.

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A story
The building is named after Francisco Javier Clavijero, an 18th-century Jesuit scholar born in Veracruz who spent years in Morelia before being expelled along with all Jesuits from New Spain in 1767. His monumental history of Mexico, written in Italian exile, was one of the first serious defences of indigenous Mexican civilisation and earned him the nickname "the first Mexican historian."