PALACIO DE CORTÉS - MUSEO REGIONAL CUAUHNÁHUAC

Just a stone's throw from the zócalo stands this imposing palace. It is the oldest civil building on the American continent to date from the colonial era, having been built from 1523 onwards. The fortress-home of Hernán Cortés, the conqueror of New Spain, was built on the site of a center where the Aztecs used to gather, as attested by the pre-Hispanic ruins. In twenty rooms, the museum presents the general history of the present-day state of Morelos, from the Tlahuicas through the conquest and colonization to the Revolution. On display are various monoliths, the clockwork of the cathedral dating from the ^16th century, instruments of torture and superb paintings by Diego Rivera on the theme of the Conquest. The fresco is called Historia del Estado de Morelos: Conquista y revolución, and was painted between 1927 and 1930. It was commissioned by the American ambassador himself. This connection led to Rivera's expulsion from the Communist Party, which also criticized him for not adhering to Stalinist orthodoxy. This painting depicts local history, around the heroes Zapata and Morelos: in particular, it denounces the mistreatment suffered by workers on the sugar farms that made the state rich. The building is still under construction following the earthquake of September 19, 2017. The museum has undertaken to partially reopen certain rooms by 2023.