Gala Dinner

Vizcainas School in Mexico City

This building was built from 1734 to 1757 in order to accommodate the children of Spanish with few resources. It has a beautiful chapel and a magnificent courtyard. In 1732 members of the Brotherhood of Aranzazu founded the Royal College of San Ignacio de Loyola for girls from Spain, as well as to protect widows. The School gave the New Spain women, better educational opportunities with a solid religious instruction, but without the constraints of the cloister, it was run by clergy, it had royal patronage, but independent in managing their constitutions. It was an independent, secular educational institution attending maidens and widows without the necessary resources to ensure their education, honesty and decency. The student’s ages ranged from 4 to over 60 years, which beat down in much the feeling of orphan hood, and old ladies who had a role of surrogate mother. They learned music, were taught organ, harpsichord, flute and bassoon, among other instruments.

By 1730 the rector of the Royal and Pontifical University, and Eguiara Jose Eguren, Hispanic cultural advocate, ruled the Brotherhood, the main benefactors were the wealthy gentlemen Manuel de Aldaco, Ambrose and Francis Echebeste Meave, who gave name to its surrounding streets. On 31 July 1734, the construction began; though, the opening did not become official until after in 1767. Since that time it had been working until now.
Architecture and rich heritage. The School Chapel has been purely private and richly furnished with beautiful altars, galleries and bars of the chorus, until 1771 was made the cover of the temple facing the street, with three sculptures: St. Ignatius Loyola and downtown San Luis Gonzaga and St. Stanislaus Koska on the sides. The building is the transition from Baroque to neoclassical styles, with volcanic rock and quarry facade and sturdy iron railings on the balconies and the interior. It occupies the entire block. It has eleven courtyards. There are five golden altarpieces and a chorus with one of the few organ bass of that era now in service. It has an important historical archive that preserves its history and tradition, protecting documents from the sixteenth century to the present, with information for understanding the history of women's education in Mexico. There are documents relating to the administration, education and scholar life (food, medical care, income, marriage, etc.).

Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez, a female icon of the Mexican Independence, attended Vizcainas School because she was orphaned of a middle-class Spanish family very young. She learned to read, write and do basic math concepts, as well as embroidery, sewing and cooking, there she met the lawyer Don Miguel Dominguez, who asked her in marriage.

Dominguez was appointed Mayor of the city of Queretaro and eventually became involved in the conspiracy of Independence. Josefa was always extraordinarily strong character, while she was charitable and generous. She helped the homeless, and healed the sick with her own hands. Perhaps that is why she embraced the ideas of independence of New Spain, to redeem all the forgotten people of the Spanish government, such as the Indian and mestizo classes.

The tradition and fun have surrounded at different times this beautiful building, which has seen the history of Mexico City, since colonial times until today. It stands superb as part of the Historic Center, better known as the City of Palaces.

Travelling in Mexico

It is a pleasure to join our 30th Triennial Conference IFUW in Mexico City from the 5th to 9th of August in 2010. In our country, you will have the opportunity to experience the best of the history, the culture and the entertainment that we are preparing for you to enjoy.

First at all, we want to make you feel like home, so there you have the options and then, you will be able choose what is the best for you, for example: The travel agency in the hotel will arrange some tour to visit cultural attractions around Mexico City, like museums and metropolitan view in the turibus.

There you find examples of beautiful cities that you could visit to complement your travel in Mexico; all of them are rich in arts, and popular culture, like archaeology places, colonial buildings and Modern and Contemporary arts museums. Also you will be able to select the places that you want to visit, we call this options tours on demand.

Let me show you some of the cities that we selected for the occasion:

Mexico City is the heart of Mexico, located in its center, and represents the largest concentration of economic, political, cultural and religious activity in the nation.

The city has around 160 museums, over 100 art galleries, and some 30 concert halls, all of which maintain a constant cultural activity during the whole year. There are several restored haciendas that are now restaurants.

Mexico City is one of the most important cultural centers in the world, boasting more museums than any other city. It also comes first in the number of theaters in the world. Having been the capital of a vast pre-Hispanic empire, the richest viceroyalty within the Spanish Empire, and capital of the Mexican federation, Mexico City has a rich history of artistic expressions. Since the Mesoamerican pre-Classical period the inhabitants of the settlements around Lake Texcoco produced many works of arts, some of which are today displayed at the world-renown National Museum of Anthropology and the Templo Mayor Museum. Also there are recreations places like parks, gardens for example Chapultepec or Xochimilco. Maybe you could learn to dance a typical Danzon.

The meeting is going to be at a luxury hotel Meliá located in one of the most important avenue in downtown. The hotel has the best in amenities and comfort.

When you finish to attendance the conference you could take a trip outside the city. I want to show you some of the beautiful views of Colonial cities like Puebla, Oaxaca, Queretaro and Guanajuato, where you could find some of the greatest examples of the richness Barroco. You would relax enjoying the quietness and nature environment, and delicious food and appetizer or typical desserts.

If you are more adventurous and want to discover the marvelous prehispanic cities you could visit Teotihuacan, near to Mexico City, with big pyramids and murals painted to represent divine meanings like Venus or the greatest mural named Tlalocan. But if you want to go a little far away please don’t miss one of the wonders of the world Chichen itza, you will find the Maya´s knowledge of astrology. Most of the prehispanic places have the ball game square, to remind us the ritual and the costumes of ancient cultures.

Chichen Itza was a major regional focal point in the northern Maya lowlands from the Late Classic through the Terminal Classic and into the early portion of the Early Postclassic period. The site exhibits a multitude of architectural styles, from what is called “Mexicanized” and reminiscent of styles seen in central Mexico to the Puuc style found among the Puuc Maya of the northern lowlands. The presence of central Mexican styles was once thought to have been representative of direct migration or even conquest from central Mexico, but most contemporary interpretations view the presence of these non-Maya styles more as the result of cultural diffusion, is a wonder of the world


Teotihuacan is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas. Apart from the pyramidal structures, Teotihuacan is also known for its large residential complexes, the so-called "Avenue of the Dead", and numerous colorful, well-preserved murals.

We will continue with more cities next time.....

Dear friends

It is a pleasure being in touch with you from now on. We are very excited preparing the 30th Triennial IFUW Conference in Mexico City that will take place from the 5th to the 9th of August of 2010. This is the first time in Latin America when we will share ideas and discuss topics that affect women, especially in these days of crisis we all need to keep hope to make our sisterhood stronger, we are sure we will empower each other with energy to keep trying in everybody struggles.

2010 is a meaningful year for us, because we will commemorate our bicentenary of independence, as well as the centenary of Mexico's social revolution: the first of the 20th century. Two hundred years ago we fought for the liberty of a nation and one hundred years ago for its social rights. Mexico was the first country to include social rights in the Constitution of 1917, which is in effect today.

This Conference will be an opportunity to visit different cultural cities and environments, you would be able to travel to nears places around the city or even outside, we have great anthropology places, the mixed cultures of Spanish conquers reflected in architecture and Barroco style art. You better don’t miss the beautiful views of Maya’s cities, like Chichen Itza: wonder of the world.

We really want to make you feel at home so, we are preparing some fun: a dinner gala party as well as a typical Mexican Fiesta, where you could have a little bit of our food, music and dance. All this is for you, to have great experience learning, sharing and enjoying together.

We hope to see you then.