Saturday, July 18, 2026 My Trip English中文
World news · travel · culture
Taiwan The Taiwan Times
台灣國際報 — Taiwan's window to the world
Museum

Academy of San Carlos

Mexico · Americas

Academy of San Carlos
Academy of San Carlos. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

About

The Academy of San Carlos (Spanish: Academia de San Carlos), formerly also known as the National School of Fine Arts (Spanish: Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes), is an art academy in Mexico City that historically played an important role in the development of Mexican art and architecture. Founded in 1781 as the School of Engraving, it was the first major art school and the first art museum in the Americas.

The school was moved to the Academia Street location about 10 years after its founding and is located at 22 Academia Street, just northeast of the Zócalo of Mexico City. It emphasized the European classical tradition in training until the early 20th century, when it shifted to a more modern perspective.

The Academy of San Carlos was integrated with the National Autonomous University of Mexico, eventually becoming the Faculty of Arts and Design, which is based in Xochimilco. Currently, only graduate courses of the modern school are given in the original academy building.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.

More museums in Mexico