Palacio de Bellas Artes

Begun in 1904 as a Porfirian statement in Carrara marble and finished thirty years later after revolution and sinking foundations, the Palace of Fine Arts wears two eras at once: an art nouveau exterior of winged marble and orange dome, and an interior of geometric art deco in bronze, onyx and Maya-motif grillework. The theater's stage curtain is unlike any other on earth - a million pieces of Tiffany opalescent glass forming the volcanoes Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl, lowered before performances of the Ballet Folklorico and the national opera. The upper floors are a gallery of Mexican muralism at full argument: Rivera's Man, Controller of the Universe - repainted here after Rockefeller Center destroyed the original - faces Siqueiros's tortured New Democracy and Orozco's Katharsis. Outside, the marble plaza and the view from the neighboring Sears cafe have become the city's favorite postcard.

History

The oldest known building on the site was the Convent of Santa Isabel, whose church was built in 1680, and later the National Theatre stood here. The Italian architect Adamo Boari began the new palace in 1904; the work stopped by 1913, resumed in 1932 under Federico Mariscal, who turned the interior to Art Deco, and the building was inaugurated on 29 November 1934 (Wikipedia, Palacio de Bellas Artes).

Highlights

• The marble palace - white winged facade under a golden-orange dome.
• The Tiffany curtain - a glass mosaic of the two volcanoes, revealed at performances.
• The mural floors - Rivera, Siqueiros, Orozco and Tamayo in one building.
• The art deco foyer - bronze, black onyx and Maya masks.

When to go

Tuesday to Sunday for the mural floors; evenings for the Ballet Folklorico if you want the curtain and orchestra experience. November to April gives dry plaza-strolling weather.

Good to know

The famous curtain is only visible at performances - daytime visitors see the halls and murals, not the glass volcanoes. The dome view everyone photographs is from the cafe across the street, which queues at sunset. Closed Mondays.

Nearby

Alameda Central, the Palacio Postal, Casa de los Azulejos and the Torre Latinoamericana are all within three blocks.

Key facts