The city Puebla was an important spanish colonial city in Mexico, something that is still visible in the city centre. Here we see a street block, next to the central square (Zocalo) of Puebla, which starts at the right end of the panorama. This street itself is the Calle 2 Norte, as the street grid in mexican cities is created from numbers and orientation, giving an indication how close to the Zocalo and in which direction a street is situated.
The building on the far right belongs to the mexican state Puebla, accordingly the sign above the door reads Gobierno del Estado. The picturesque building left of it is the Casa de los muñecos (Puppet House), one of the most famous historic buildings in the city. It is supposed to have been built in order of the owner of the site Agustin de Ovando in the late 18th century, possibly even after his design. The facade bears sixteen figures on painted tiles, an exquisite example of pueblan Talavera Pottery, hence the name puppet house. There are several thesis about their meaning, from figures joking the councilmen of Puebla to complete stories being told. Today a part of the building is used as the university museum of the Universidad Autónoma de Puebla.
The building on the left of the panorama was built in 1910 in Parisian Art Nouveau with iron structures and large windows. Obviously it was inspired by the Samaritaine in Paris. Later it became part of the society in Puebla when it was owned by the boutique chain Fábricas de Francia. Today it houses the cultural centre Capilla del Arte of the private university UDLAP (Universidad de las Américas) from the neighboring city Cholula.
