The Museum of Handicrafts was the site of the first convent established in Valladolid.

Its construction was initiated by the Franciscans in 1531 and features Plateresque style.

The complex consists of the Temple of San Francisco and the Former Convent of San Buenaventura, and it is believed that the entire city was built from this site.

The main façade of the church has a tall arched door flanked by columns. At the top, there is a rectangular choir window with columns on both sides. Above the arch of the door, there is a sculpture of the Virgin with the Child emerging from a flower, which is the oldest stone sculpture in the city.

On the ground floor, there is a portico with arches where crafts can also be purchased. The convent has a courtyard surrounded by arcaded corridors.

In addition to its religious functions, this site became a school for indigenous people, where they were taught to read, write, and various trades.

The Plateresque-style tower of the temple was built later. Similarly, the Convent of San Buenaventura was constructed until the 17th century.

n the first half of the 20th century, the building served as the headquarters for labor associations, and in the 1930s, artists Alfredo Zalce, Santos Balmori, and Pablo O'Higgins painted a collective mural, which was destroyed during restoration work in the 1970s.

Since 1973, it has functioned as the House of Handicrafts of Michoacán, housing a museum and a gallery for temporary exhibitions, showcasing collections from all branches of craftsmanship in Michoacán.

This unique museum is one of the most comprehensive in the country when it comes to handicrafts.

The architecture of the building, with its strong Plateresque style details and impressive proportions, seems to be the perfect backdrop for the collection of crafts found within it.

The museum exhibits pottery works from San José de Gracia and Capula; musical instruments from the cañada region; hammered and embossed copper from Santa María del Cobre; textiles from various locations; ornamental objects made of plant fibers and wood from Quiroga and Tzintzuntzan; lacquered woods from the regions of Uruapan and Zamora; jewelry and leatherwork.

Special mention should be made of the crafts from Ocumicho, a town near Uruapan, where a wide variety of fantastic animals made of clay are produced, decorated with bright colors, reproducing figures with a great popular appeal.