The Morelos House Site Museum and Historical Archive is one of the most important cultural spaces in Mexico. It is the perfect place to learn more about the identity and history of Mexico, walking through the courtyards and corridors in the footsteps of Don José María Morelos from his student days to the priesthood of Caracuaro. Access to the extensive archive enables historians to rummage through the past, searching for the reasons behind the not inconsiderable problems of our country today. Meanwhile a visit to the updated permanent exhibition helps visitors and school students to soak up the history of Michoacan and Mexico, but above all to understand the life of the most important priest, soldier and statesman produced by the independence revolution.

This is an emblematic site, not only because of its extraordinary location in the historic center of the city of Morelia, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but because it was the building purchased by the then priest of Caracuaro in 1801, and which he soon after extended with a second floor. In addition to its emblematic nature, it also has an important symbolic value because it is visited year after year on September 30 and December 22 by municipal, state and national authorities to pay homage to the priest Morelos on the anniversaries of his birth and death.

The Archive has been consulted as a center of archival research by historians, consolidating a highly prestigious professional and academic reputation. Many undergraduate, masters and PhD theses, as well as articles of independent research, have been based on the documents housed in the archive. Consequently in the last few decades it has generated a valuable and significant historical output which has pushed the state of Michoacan to the forefront of historical studies on a variety of research topics and issues. Some of the most common research topics have been political, social and economic history, institutional and educational history, gender, daily life, biography and genealogy.

The updating of the exhibitions is also worth mentioning. The Morelos House Museum is directed and served by professional historians. Recent years have seen a thorough research process in support of the upgrading of the galleries and to satisfy the curiosity of the most demanding visitors. There have been contributions from renowned specialists in Mexican history and biographers of Morelos, attached to prestigious academic and research institutions in our country, including the National History Museum at Chapultepec Castle, the National Institute of Anthropology and History and the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, all of which uphold the highest civic ideals and responsibility for protecting the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Mexican people.

Finally, the Museum is very well designed as a teaching space. It is practical, safe, well-illustrated and helpful for visitors interested in delving into the historical displays in each gallery. For history lovers and enthusiasts, the Museum also has well trained staff who are up to date with the most recent research on the topics covered by the museum and archive. This has made it possible to make this house’s rich historical collection and materials widely accessible.

However the house is at its most attractive when its corridors are brimming with dozens of elementary or high school students accompanied by their teachers. Another touching sight is when there are young students in the Archive taking their first steps on a tough piece of historical research, or preparing to take part in specialist conferences, colloquia and seminars setting out their most recent research findings. Another sight is the evident pride felt by visitors from other parts of the Republic as they arrive at the house that was once the property of Generalissimo José María Morelos.

All of this turns the Morelos House Site Museum and Historical Archive of the city of Morelia into one of those unmissable, key places which everyone should take the opportunity to visit.