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Secondary sourceArtifact18th century

Calabozo de Hidalgo, Chihuahua

18th century

The cell in the former Jesuit college in Chihuahua where Hidalgo was held prisoner before his execution.

This cell is where Hidalgo was imprisoned before his execution, marking the end of his life as a rebel leader.

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A dim stone-walled cell with a wooden chair with woven seat, a small table holding stacked papers, an open book, a quill pen in an inkstand, a bread roll on a metal plate, and a candle holder. A cot with striped blanket sits behind, and a glass barrier runs across the front.
Cell where Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was imprisoned, Casa Chihuahua.

About this source

What it is

This is the preserved cell in what was once a Jesuit college in Chihuahua, now part of the Palacio Federal, where Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was imprisoned before he was executed. The display includes period furnishings such as a chair, table with papers, an open book, inkstand, and a candle.

Why it matters

This site marks the end of Hidalgo's story as a rebel leader: captured and held here before his death. Preserving the cell keeps alive the memory of the final days of the priest who began Mexico's fight for independence.

Look closer

  • Why might a museum choose to recreate the objects in a prisoner's cell rather than leave it empty?
  • What do the objects shown (book, papers, quill) suggest about how Hidalgo spent his final days?
  • What is the difference between a preserved original room and a modern recreation?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Black and white photograph of a large old bronze bell mounted in a wooden and iron frame, with metal rods and a crossbeam above it, set against a stone wall with arches visible in the background.Speech

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Grito de Dolores

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla · 16 September 1810

Photograph of a scanned, aged Spanish colonial edict headed 'Nos los Inquisidores Apostolicos' in dense printed and handwritten text, with a seal at lower left, signatures at bottom, and an AGN archive stamp at lower right.Document

Primary source

Edicto contra Hidalgo

Apostolic Inquisitors of New Spain · 1810

Black handwritten signature on white background reading 'Mig. Hidalgo', with 'Generalísimo de America' written below in cursive, followed by a flourish.Document

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Signature of Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

Front facade of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas, a large stone building with rows of small barred windows, its weathered pinkish-beige walls and a wide stone staircase in the foreground. Two people walk on the plaza, and a third stands at right.Artifact

Secondary source

Alhóndiga de Granaditas

1798-1809 (built); 1810 (battle)

Hand-colored lithograph of a standing man in a black cape, wide-brimmed hat with red and green plumes, red sash, blue trousers and tall boots, holding a cross raised in one hand and a walking staff in the other, with a sabre at his side.Painting

Secondary source

Miguel Hidalgo (2) by Claudio Linati 1828

Claudio Linati · 1828

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