Museo Nacional de Arte

Occupying a stately early twentieth-century palace of Italianate design near the historic centre, this museum gathers Mexican art produced between the colonial era and the mid-1900s. Its holdings run from religious canvases and academic portraiture to the landscapes of José María Velasco, whose luminous views of the Valley of Mexico are a highlight. The building, with its marble staircase and bronze chandeliers, once served as the Ministry of Communications. Outside stands the equestrian statue of Charles IV, known locally as El Caballito.