I’m always pleased to discover an abandoned ecclesiastical building that has been transformed for a higher purpose. In this case, the 16th century former Convento de San Augustin in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán Mexico was restored and turned into a public library. Dedicated to the 19th century independence leader Gertrudis Bocanegra , the library also houses an extraordinary fresco mural by Irish-Mexican artist and architect Juan O’Gorman.

Completed in 1942, and ironically funded by American entrepreneur E.J. Kaufmann, the 46 by 42 foot mural tells the history of the indigenous Purépechao people from pre-Colonial days until independence.