This space is a recreation of the room used by Father Gonzalo Carrasco, the last rector of the novitiate college from 1911 to 1914. He studied painting at the Academy of San Carlos, and many of the artworks decorating this room and other parts of the building were painted by him.

One of the main areas of the Jesuit colleges in Tepotzotlán, the library remains in the same location it occupied in 1914, during the Jesuits' last stay in the region. It holds approximately 4,000 volumes, mostly written in Latin and Spanish, with some in French, Portuguese, Greek, and Hebrew.

Near the entrance to the cloister lies the old apothecary. Through its window, visitors can see the infirmary courtyard, once used to grow medicinal plants. The ceiling features 17th-century mural paintings depicting scenes related to medicine, including the revered physician saints Cosmas and Damian.

Part of the architectural complex of the Old Novitiate College of Tepotzotlán, the kitchen was rebuilt in the 18th century. Visitors can still see the large cooking braziers, the stone sink, and the turntable used to pass food to the adjoining dining area. The setting offers insight not only into how the kitchen looked but also into daily life during that time.

Located adjacent to the kitchen courtyard, these rooms served as a refrigeration area and wine cellar. They are small vaulted spaces that remain cool and damp year-round, thanks to internal wall channels that carried water from the orchard’s aqueduct to the kitchen courtyard fountain.

This was where novices and priests ate their meals. It features a pulpit for readings during meals, and the tables and benches sit on platforms similar to those originally used by the college’s residents. The walls are adorned with paintings by Gonzalo Carrasco, the college’s final rector in 1914.

Historical Description
A space dedicated to the priests' reflection before mass. It contains large drawers once used to store liturgical vestments and sacred vessels such as chalices and ciboria.

Aesthetic Description
The sacristy includes a series of paintings by Miguel Cabrera from the mid-18th century, depicting scenes of Jesus' celebration of the Jewish Passover and the Last Supper. The largest painting shows the Immaculate Conception with Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

The first galleries explore the events leading up to the conquest of Mexico. Pre-Hispanic artifacts illustrate features of Mesoamerican civilizations and northern arid-zone groups. The exhibition also examines the Iberian Peninsula at the time of contact with the Americas. Navigation instruments and model ships explain the factors that made Columbus’s arrival possible, along with the experiences of early colonists in the Caribbean and the expeditions to the mainland. Armor and indigenous deities evoke the conditions of the conquest, culminating in an 18th-century shell-inlaid folding screen that summarizes the final resistance of the Mexica and the fall of Tenochtitlán to Hernán Cortés and his indigenous allies.

Other galleries address the transformative reforms that began in 1760 and culminated in widespread discontent and the onset of conflict in 1808. Paintings, furnishings, and documents reflect the impact of Bourbon reforms and the arrival of inspector José de Gálvez, who sought to restore political and economic control for the Crown. The final rooms examine how Enlightenment ideas influenced science, fashion, and the arts in New Spain. Portraits, clothing, ceramics, and silverwork illustrate these changes. The exhibits highlight how Bourbon policy destabilized the old colonial order, particularly by displacing the criollo class, leading to growing criticism and eventually to the insurgency of 1810 that ended with Mexico’s independence 11 years later.

The exhibit continues with the defining characteristics of early colonial life after the military conquest. This period was marked by profound and lasting changes for the future of Mexico. The gallery includes a colonial-era setting and a model of a 16th-century convent, illustrating the establishment of new civil and religious institutions over indigenous communities. Tools, silverware, and ceramics reflect the exploitation of natural resources and indigenous labor, as well as the introduction of new crops, mining, livestock, and sugarcane. Missionary portraits, liturgical objects, and catechism facsimiles show the process of spiritual conquest led first by religious orders, then by the secular church. The gallery emphasizes the emergence of cultural mestizaje, a blend of enduring indigenous practices and European thought.

This phase covers the development and integration of various aspects of New Spanish society, from the early 17th century to the late 18th century. Olive presses, coins, and documents on local products like cochineal highlight the colony's growing economic independence from Spain. A model of a silver-processing patio illustrates the hacienda as a dominant economic unit. The rise of criollos to public office, the increasing power of the Church, and the Inquisition's role are represented through lavish objects. During this time, intellectuals such as Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz expressed aspirations for a society with its own identity. Baroque art flourished, along with religious symbols like the Virgin of Guadalupe. A recreated scene of Mexico City's main square, with its diverse population of the late 18th century, illustrates the cultural blend of Indigenous, Spanish, and African peoples.

At the heart of this exhibit is a collection of more than twenty portraits of crowned nuns—the most significant of its kind in Latin America for both artistic and historical value. Through paintings, engaging explanations, and interactive elements, the exhibit explores the lives of women who joined convents during the colonial period.

These paintings captivate specialists and first-time visitors alike. Many pause to gaze at the faces of these women, which seem to return their gaze, pose silent questions, and transport the viewer to another time.

Their ornate crowns and vivid clothing make these portraits stand out from the typical themes of colonial painting. Yet their decoration is not merely aesthetic; the crowns, palms, and other symbols carry strong religious meaning, intended to powerfully convey their significance in the colonial era.

These portraits commemorate two key moments in a nun’s life: profession and death. Profession portraits depict the moment a young woman took her final vows, symbolically “dying” to the outside world. Upon death, portraits were made again, featuring floral crowns and palms, designed to communicate their spiritual journey through easily recognizable symbols.

The crowned nun portraits offer a glimpse—like grand windows—into the rich and complex world of the colonial Baroque in the Americas.