Have you ever wanted to peek inside whatever lies behind those huge carved wood doors that line the streets in old colonial Mexican towns? I think that we all want to! In some towns, like San Miguel de Allende, that is possible since the library sponsors a weekly house and garden tour to raise money for local scholarships. I have spent many an enjoyable afternoon going on these tours.

But if there is no tour how else can you peek inside and what will you see if you do? In most cities municipal buildings, museums, and art galleries are housed in these colonial gems and are open to the public. You are usually free to wander in and look around. Take advantage of this whenever possible. These buildings have often been restored to their former glory but you will have to imagine how life was in those far off days since the décor is “office modern”.

In other towns, like Coatepec in the State of Veracruz, many old buildings remain in private hands and are still family homes. Here, when invited inside, you get a glimpse into what it was (and is) like to live in one of these old homes.
First you will observe that the home is built right up to the sidewalk and presents massive walls to the public and is well guarded by heavy wooden double doors studded with large brass or iron bosses. The double doors could be opened simultaneously to permit the passage of a horse and rider or a carriage, or individually to allow entry and exit of people on foot. In very large portals a smaller door built as a panel into one of the pair of large doors opens for foot traffic.
The walls of colonial homes are usually made of adobe and are very thick. Upon entering a room one notices the wide flat sills with ample room to sit on. Corner windows form especially pleasant and secluded retreats from which aristocratic gentlewomen might observe passers-by or, in the case of convents, from which nuns had a place for silent contemplation. Virtually all windows are barred with either wrought iron or wooden grills. The early days in Mexico were often violent ones with many uprisings so the houses had to be almost fortress-like. One’s world turned inward toward family.
For the family, especially the women, life evolved inside the home so the interior space was the most important. The inside was pleasant with flowered patios flanked by cool shaded corridors around which the rooms were spaced. It has been said that a Mexican casa can best be described as a flower garden surrounded by a house. Originally the patios were left open so that one experienced the weather. Today many patios are covered over and have become part of the “inside” of the house, losing some of their original appeal.
In Coatepec many of the old homes have 2 or 3 patios. The family would live life in the front part of the huge building (often comprising the whole block), and the back patios served as the processing areas for coffee. The crop was received in one area and set out to dry there and later after drying (and perhaps roasting) the beans were bagged and stacked, ready to be picked up by horse or train out through the last patio area. In these homes today one can still see the small arched window, like a movie ticket window, where the workers lined up to receive their weekly salary.

Another common feature of colonial homes is the high ceilings. Ceilings of 18 and 20 feet are not uncommon and some can be even higher. Besides giving the rooms and buildings a sense of spaciousness and grandeur, the high ceilings allow the heat of the day to rise away from the inhabitants. Combined with the thick stone walls and windows covered during the day by heavy wooden or metal doors, this serves to keep the interior of these old buildings as cool as possible when it is impossibly hot outside.
A distinguishing feature that everyone notices right away is the colorful tile floors. These special floor tiles are made from concrete, colored powder and hydraulic pressure. They are laid down with a matte finish and polished in place after installation. The elaborate designs served as permanent “rugs” which would never wear out! This is an art that is on the way out due to its labor intensiveness. The ex-hacienda of La Orduña, on the outskirts of Coatepec, has been turned into an art center and here one can still special order these lovely tiles.
Walls were not hung with tapestry or wall paper but were, instead, graced with hand-painted or stenciled designs, often meant to mimic wall-paper. The intense heat of the tropical regions and the cool wetness of the mountain areas would have peeled off wall paper within one season. Many local craftspeople are still skilled in decorative wall painting and are eager to work on home renovations.
An original kitchen is often just open concrete shelves, sometimes covered with or edged with fired tiles. In this humid climate it was (and still is) best to leave shelves open so that air can circulate. Many colonial homes have preserved the large center counters where food was cooked over open flames fueled by logs fed into openings under the burners. Today gas burners are used. Also the kitchen has traditionally been the realm of the servants so little attention is given to decorating it. In most kitchens today there are no dishwashers and very few other “essential” appliances since the work is still done by hand by housekeepers. (I have built a couple of homes in Mexico and have had to insist that the ubiquitous wash tub is not a necessity for me. I wash my clothes in a washing machine not by hand as most households do.)
Most families today who own colonial homes have the economic means to employ household help, usually a cook, a maid and perhaps a gardener. Since the “señora” still does not do the majority of household chores the inner workings of maintaining order operate as they have for centuries.
So, as you pass by and peek into these old homes enjoy the image of opulence that it conjures up but also remember the many who toiled behind the scenes to make it possible for the few.