The Palacio de Gobierno occupies the entire east side of the Plaza de Armas, its long baroque facade of pink cantera stone providing a stately backdrop to the main square. Built in the 18th century as the residence of the bishop of Michoacan, it became the state government building after independence. The building is open to visitors, and the real reason to enter is the remarkable series of murals by Alfredo Zalce that line the staircase and upper galleries.
The murals cover Mexican history with the kind of ideological intensity that characterizes post-revolutionary public art — the Spanish conquest depicted as brutal exploitation, the independence movement as an uprising of the oppressed, the Revolution as the fulfillment of long-deferred justice. Whether or not you agree with the politics, the paintings are vivid and well-executed, and the building provides essential visual context for understanding Morelia's self-image.