Palacio de Gobierno

Palacio de Gobierno Review

The 19th-century neoclassical state capitol is on the zócalo's south side. A fresco mural that was completed in 1988 wraps around the stairwell. In it, altars to the dead, painters of codices, fruit sellers, gods, and musicians crowd together to catalog the customs and legends of Oaxaca's indigenous people. At the top, on the left side of the mural, note the apoala tree, which, according to Mixtec legend, bore the flowers from which life sprang. If there's a protest in front of the building—and there often is—it will most likely be closed to visitors.