The history and culture of the San Luis Potosí region and its predecessors: the Mesoamerican and Huasteca cultures, the city of Tamtoc, the Viceroyalty, Independence, the wars of the nineteenth century, the period of Porfirio Díaz and the Revolution: these are all exhibited in a splendid building dating from 1591 which incorporates the beautiful Aranzazu chapel.
The history and culture of the San Luis Potosí region and its predecessors: the Mesoamerican and Huasteca cultures, the city of Tamtoc, the Viceroyalty, Independence, the wars of the nineteenth century, the period of Porfirio Díaz and the Revolution: these are all exhibited in a splendid building dating from 1591 which incorporates the beautiful Aranzazu chapel.
This museum holds one of the most significant archeological heritages in the Huasteca region and has an outstanding gallery of pictures from the viceregal period. Located in the historical centre of the city of San Luis Potosí, the Regional Museum is part of a Franciscan monastery. Construction began in 1591 and monks were already living here the following year. The museum occupies the service courtyards, corridors and library of the former Franciscan monastery. The Reform Laws did away with the monastery as an institution, and it was replaced in the ancient building by workshops and schools for arts and trades, as well as a funeral home, residences and a masonic lodge. This lasted until November 20, 1952, when the museum was opened under the auspices of Ignacio Marquina as the director of the INAH and Ismael Salas as State Governor. In 2004, it received the Prize for Cultural Heritage Preservation for the architectural restoration work and restructuring of the museum, granted by the state government, the INAH and the School of Architects of San Luis Potosí, A.C. The museum’s restoration and conversion work began in 1949, when the INAH took over ownership of the building. The Aranzazú chapel and the temple of St Francis were declared national historical monuments.
Within its four galleries, it is possible to gain an overview of the cultures of Mesoamerica, as well as the history of the people of Potosí, from the evangelization of the Guachichil Indians, the daily life and faith of the settlers in the viceregal period, to the fight for independence and the agricultural revolution.
Mesoamerica Gallery. This gallery gives a tour of the cultures who occupied a large part of the present-day lands of Mexico and Central America. Huasteca Potosina. As well as describing the geography of the Huasteca region, it explains the ethnical and funerary customs, describes the first settlers of the region and provides a description of Tamtoc, the most important site in the north-east of Mexico, located in the town of Tamuín. Aranzazú chapel. This building is in the Baroque style and its decoration and roofed atrium make it a work of architecture unique in America. Foundation. This galery contains the original document for the foundation of San Luis Potosí as a federal state, as well as maps of old San Luis.
This gallery offers a general overview of Mesoamerica. The artifacts are arranged by region of origin, beginning with ceramic and bone objects from the Tlatilco peoples, featuring Olmec-style traits.
This section displays artifacts made by the Guachichil peoples, including a striking deformed skull. Also featured are objects from the Middle Zone, such as pipes and female figurines recovered from the lagoon of Media Luna, attributed to the Xi’iuy or Pame culture.
This gallery presents an overview of the Huasteca region’s natural landscape, which includes the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Gulf Coastal Plain. It explores the ethnic traditions and funerary practices of the region.
This room recreates the intimate, day-to-day life of 18th-century San Luis Potosí, inviting visitors to imagine the scents and flavors of a viceregal kitchen in New Spain: the aroma of firewood, chicken, rabbit, turkey, pork, chile, milk, cheese, curds, and butter—just to name a few ingredients—a
As guardian of the Founding Charter of San Luis Potosí, the Regional Museum has dedicated a special space to bring visitors closer to one of the most significant moments in the city’s history—the founding of what would become San Luis Potosí.
Located within the museum, the Manuel Muro Library was inaugurated on August 25, 1951, thanks to donations from prominent individuals and the Mexican Society of Statistics and Geography.
Located on the upper floor, the Chapel of Aranzazú is the most prominent and visited space in the Regional Museum of San Luis Potosí. Dating to the second half of the 18th century, it is one of the finest examples of Potosino Baroque.
Upon exiting the chapel, visitors find themselves in the atrium—an unusual covered atrium, rare in convent architecture. The space features a vaulted ceiling with four windows. The decorative elements symbolize mourning for the death of Saint Francis of Assisi.
