Colegio de San Ildelfonso

The Colegio de San Idelfonso, sometimes called the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildelfonso, was one of the oldest universities in the Americas, founded in 1588 in Mexico City under the administration of the Jesuit Order. The original edifice still exists in the heart of the oldest part of the city at 16 Justo Sierra.

In 1618, King Felipe III brought it under his authority, renaming it the Real y Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefenso. In 1767, the Jesuits were expelled from New Spain by King Carlos III. From then until the early 20th century, it was the site of the national schools of medicine and law. It also served to quarter the French military in 1862 and the U.S. military in 1847.

San Ildelfonso is no longer in use as a college, but is preserved as a historic site.