If you thought that Chapultepec was Diego Rivera’s only aquatic mural, wait until you hear the story of this museum, which displays one of his works at the bottom of a pool.
The Cassa Gaia Museum is a cultural space that is currently open to the public. Among its permanent collection, you will find works by Leonora Carrington, Juan O’Gorman, Jorge González Camarena, Pedro Friedeberg, Angelina Beloff, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Rufino Tamayo, Manuel Felguérez, as well as Frida Kahlo and other 20th-century artists.
Before becoming a place of cultural dissemination, this house belonged to Mario Moreno, Cantinflas himself. The actor used to visit it to rest and escape from the chaotic Mexico City (then the Federal District). What better place to do so than Cuernavaca!
It was also a meeting place for celebrities of the Golden Age, as well as other outstanding artists.
Photo: Cassa Gaia Museum/Facebook
As we mentioned, one of the elements that steals the show is the pool, which features a mural by Diego Rivera made with Venetian mosaic tiles.
The design features the goddess Gaia, who, according to Greek mythology, is the deity of the Earth. The pool includes other elements such as the Tree of Life and a pre-Hispanic frog.
According to the Cassa Gaia Museum, this underwater mural was designed especially for Cantinflas.
Can I see Diego Rivera’s mural at the Cassa Gaia Museum?
Yes! This space is open to the public and can be visited Tuesday through Thursday from 12:00 p. m. to 6:00 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Admission is free.
The splendid house is located at Boulevard Lic. Benito Juárez 102, Cuernavaca Centro. It’s well worth leaving Mexico City to visit!
In addition to its nine rooms, this place has a café at the foot of the pool.
Photo: Cassa Gaia Museum/Facebook
Cassa Gaia is a sanctuary where time seems to have stopped amid mosaics and brushstrokes. Don’t let others tell you about it: escape from Mexico City and discover for yourself the secret that Diego Rivera kept at the bottom of this pool.