Casa de la Ciudad, Biblioteca Andrés Henestrosa.
La Casa de la Ciudad is a cultural center located in the heart of the Historic Center of Oaxaca de Juárez. It is housed in a historic 16th-century building that was originally part of the Dominican convent. This space serves as a meeting place for reflection on the city's architectural, urban, and cultural heritage.
La Casa de la Ciudad, located on Porfirio Díaz Street, just one block from Oaxaca’s main square (zócalo), was inaugurated on January 17, 2004, through an agreement between the Municipality of Oaxaca and the Alfredo Harp Helú Oaxaca Foundation (FAHHO). The municipality provided the historic building, while FAHHO took charge of its operation.
However, the history of this building (CDLC, 2025) dates back to the construction of a religious complex by the Congregation of the Oratory—a group of secular priests committed to the evangelizing mission of Saint Philip Neri—between 1660 and 1680. The temple, which still stands today, is located at the corner of Tinoco y Palacios and Independencia streets, with its annexes bordered by Porfirio Díaz and Morelos streets.
Construction of the temple and the adjoining house on land donated by Bishop Ángel de Maldonado began in 1733 and was completed in January 1773. Following the enactment of the Law of Nationalization of Church Property in 1856, the complex became federal property, although the church remained open to the public (Genaro Vásquez, 1927).
Decades later, in the 1920s, the building housed the Segarra Hotel, followed by the newspaper El Fogonazo and the stationery shop Quetzalcóatl. In June 1989, the Oaxaca City Council purchased the house and repurposed it for municipal offices.
Over time, on November 30, 2003, the first phase of La Casa de la Ciudad was inaugurated with the opening of the Andrés Henestrosa Library. This initial setup included three large rooms for the library’s collection, two reading rooms, one exhibition space, and an administrative area.
Later, in 2004, the official inauguration of La Casa de la Ciudad took place, expanding the facilities to include two additional exhibition halls, an archive area, offices, and a large hall for major events.
Today, La Casa de la Ciudad is a public space open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., where visitors can find information about the origin, development, and preservation of Oaxaca’s Historic Center and other heritage sites across the state. It also addresses urban topics such as water, waste, city growth, traffic, and more. The center serves as a continuous forum for analyzing current urban development and its impact on the historic center, as well as for proposing initiatives to improve the city’s quality of life.
Additionally, La Casa de la Ciudad offers reading workshops, lectures, book presentations, and various other activities.
