CIUDAD UNIVERSITARIA

Built between 1950 and 1954 and designed by the Mexican architects Mario Pani and Enrique del Moral, the main campus of the University City of the Universidad Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM) comprises some 40 faculties and institutes. The Ciudad Universitaria is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This huge campus has indeed a great historical and ecological value. Several of its buildings were decorated by great Mexican painters. Don't miss the Rectoría building, with a fresco by David Alfaro Siqueiros; the central library, with a superb mural by Juan O'Gorman on one of its façades; and the School of Medicine, with a work by Francisco Eppens representing the four elements. The campus has several large gardens, including an ecological reserve and an open-air art space, the Espacio Escultórico, where large sculptures are on display (not to be missed). In addition to the faculty buildings, there is a football stadium for the professional team (Pumas), whose southern part is covered with a mural by Diego Rivera; a cultural center with several movie, dance and theater theaters; and several museums, including the Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC) and the Museo Universitario de Ciencias y Artes (MUCA). To get around the campus, the university has set up its own bus service, the Pumabus.