Originally called Valladolid after the Spanish city, Morelia is the capital of Michoacan state, whose boundaries are roughly those of the former Tarascan kingdom. Skilled artisans as well as warriors, the Purepecha were never conquered by the Aztecs, nor by the equally bellicose Chichimec to the north.

Morelia’s wide avenues and expansive plazas are America rather than European in character; these, along with its many restored convents and monasteries, give the city a dignified demeanour.

Zalce’s work and that of other contemporary artists can be seen at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, east of the city centre. The restored Porfiriato-era house is within leafy Bosque Cuauhtemoc. En route to the park you will pass the 250-arch acueducto, which once supplied fountains throughout the city centre with drinkable water.