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All Mexico Pátzcuaro Gertrudis Bocanegra Public Library

Gertrudis Bocanegra Public Library

This 16th-century church now has a heavenly second life as a cultural hub of Pátzcuaro.

Pátzcuaro, Mexico

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Details of Juan O’Gorman’s murals.   Timothy Neesam/cc by-nd 2.0
Bookshelves in the library.   Timothy Neesam/cc by-nd 2.0
The façade of the former church is now the entrance to the library.   Hexenesi/cc by-sa 2.0
Juan O’Gorman’s mural.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Some of the church’s original murals are preserved.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Interior of the library.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Alejandra working on her book in the library   Mago / Atlas Obscura User
View of Library and Theater   Mago / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Built in 1576, the Augustine Convent of Pátzcuaro originally consisted of a church and cloister. In 1936, under the presidency of revolutionary leader Lázaro Cárdenas, the former church was remodeled as a library and the cloister as a theater. Today, the Gertrudis Bocanegra Public Library, adorned with murals by Irish-Mexican artist Juan O'Gorman, is an important cultural center of Pátzcuaro.

The library is named after a local woman whose husband and son joined the Mexican War of Independence in the early 1800s. Bocanegra supported the independence cause both out of personal beliefs and on behalf of her family, and she became part of an important group of conspirators in Pátzcuaro that aided the soldiers that fought in the Puente de Calderón Battle. When her involvement was discovered by the Spanish loyalist troops, she was imprisoned and interrogated. In 1817, Bocanegra was executed by firing squad in the town's central square and eventually came to be known as the Heroine of Pátzcuaro.

O'Gorman's murals were started in 1941 and completed a year after. Divided into four sections, they depict the indigenous Purépecha cosmogony, their way of life, the Spanish conquest, and life after the conquest. The library's book collection offers something for everyone, from children's books to those in English as well a notable number of tomes in Braille.

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Libraries Revolution Murals Books History Culture

Know Before You Go

The Gertrudis Bocanegra Public Library (Biblioteca Publica Gertrudis Bocanegra) is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Emperador Caltzontzin Theater and Cinema is located next to the library in the former cloister of the convent and is also worth a visit for a show.

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Mago

  • Mago

Published

August 5, 2019

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  • http://michoacan.travel/es/lugares/biblioteca-publica-gertrudis-bocanegra.html
  • http://www.cambiodemichoacan.com.mx/nota-222592
  • https://www.buscabiografias.com/biografia/verDetalle/8683/Gertrudis%20Bocanegra
Gertrudis Bocanegra Public Library
34A Padre Lloreda
Pátzcuaro
Mexico
19.516595, -101.608417
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Nearby Places

Emperador Caltzontzin Theater

Pátzcuaro, Mexico

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Pátzcuaro

Pátzcuaro

Mexico

Places 2

Nearby Places

Emperador Caltzontzin Theater

Pátzcuaro, Mexico

miles away

Temple of Santa Muerte

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Statue of José Maria Morelos

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Pátzcuaro

Pátzcuaro

Mexico

Places 2

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