A Wavey Building

Much of Mexico City is built upon spongy soil that was once lake bottom.  As a result, many buildings, especially in the Centro Histórico, have settled unevenly and are sinking, tilting or undulating as if riding a wave.  I took a photo of one building that is a prime example of the later.

The structure is located on San Jerónimo Street about six blocks south of the Zócalo.  My first impression was that the building was abandoned, but as I walked down the street, I could see people inside through the windows.  I continued walking and saw signs which identified the building as a public elementary school... "Escuela Primaria España".

The structure was obviously very old, most likely dating back to the colonial era.  However, unlike many buildings in the "Centro Histórico, there was no plaque giving a bit of the history of the place.  Afterwards, I did some research on the internet, and I finally found a thesis written in 2016 by an architecture student at the National Polytechnical Institute.  His thesis dealt with the school, its architecture and efforts to restore the building.  It included a chapter on the history of the building.

I skimmed through the thesis, especially the part dealing with the building's history, and it was not easy reading.  However, I was able to glean that the building was built in the 18th century.  The property was purchased by an order of priests called the "Padres Camilos".  They dedicated themselves to the care of terminally ill people in their final days... very much like modern-day hospice care.  They rented out store and apartment space in the building in order to finance their efforts.

Much later, the building became a primary school.  The name "Primaria España (Spain)" was given to it in the 1940s to honor the exiles who fought against the fascists in the Spanish Civil War, and who sought asylum in Mexico after the war.

In 2014 work began on the restoration of the building.

I have passed nearby by many times, and always looked at its wavey lines.  Now I finally know a little about its history.