Palacio de Cortes Review

Life in Mexico back in 1521 was tough if you were an Aztec, but evidently pretty sweet if you were a brutal, backstabbing, murderous low-life scumbag Spanish conquistador like Hernan Cortes. At least that's my take on it, and I think the history of Cuernevaca Mexico backs up that opinion.

It was in 1521 that Cortes came to town, bringing death and destruction to the local populace. What he couldn't burn down, he knocked down or buried (which was pretty much the Spanish modus operandi in Mexico City as well). Once he'd killed off half the locals and enslaved the rest, he put them to work building a grand palace for himself on top of the ruins of once were temples to the Aztec Gods.

Cortez's palace is one of the most impressive and imposing historical sites in today's downtown Cuernavaca, and today, the sprawling palace is used to house the Museo Cuahnahuac --- one of several very good regional history museums run by the Mexican government. The museum collection includes several rooms on the lower level that preserve the history and culture of the Aztec and other civilizations that lived in the region before the Aztec rose to prominence in the early 14th century. One of the coolest things about this place is the way that the floor has been lifted up in certain places so you can peer down into the ruins of the original Aztec temples. Your mind can't help but wonder at the wisdom and culture that was destroyed by ignorant Spaniards...it's almost as criminal as the cultural destruction that happened a century later when ignorant English settlers destroyed native American tribes in what's now the U.S. 

Cortes lived in the Palace up until the king of Spain bid him to return to the old country in 1540. Cortes would never come back to Cuernavaca, though he left his wife behind. (I need a job like Cortes.)

On the upper levels of the palace are more current history exhibits, including some  fascinating tales of that brief period when Emperor Maximilian of the Habsburgs and his wife, Empress Carlota ruled over Mexico (at least in the minds of the French, though Mexican history tells us they never ruled the hearts and minds of the Mexican people). There's also exhibits about revolutions, colonial life, the dominance of the Catholic church, and lots more. It's all well presented and utterly fascinating. A history buff could easily get lost in these galleries for hours...

The palace is also home to a spectacular artistic display --- a series of murals by 20th century painter Rivera Diego. The series shows the history of Mexico, with a serious bias towards the Aztec point of view. The murals are painted on the walls of a long 2nd level patio, and the walls themselves were evidently not enough canvas for Rivera, who also did paintings and plaster reliefs on the arches, columns, and any other nearby surface he could find. It's a magnificent masterpiece and well worth the (very reasonable) price of admission in its own right.

I like Cuernavaca, and in my opinion, the Palacio de Cortes is one of its crowning jewels. Don't miss it!