Dwarf Portal House

The House of the Chaparro Portal: A Witness Sunken in Time

A Rarity in the Plaza Grande In the majestic setting of the Plaza Vasco de Quiroga, where tall stone arches and stately portals predominate, there is a building that attracts attention for its tiny scale and rustic air: the Casa del Portal Chaparro.

Located on the west side of the plaza (Portal Hidalgo), this house gets its popular name from the noticeably low height of its roof compared to the neighboring buildings. To pass through its doorway, tall pedestrians often feel the instinctive need to duck.

Vernacular Architecture Unlike the grand houses remodeled in later centuries with stone arches, this portal preserves the oldest and most traditional structure in the region: thick wooden beams supporting a horizontal lintel upon which the second floor rests. It is a surviving example of how Pátzcuaro looked in its early viceregal years, before the sophistication of the Baroque or Neoclassical styles.

The Mystery of the Elevated Floor Why was such a low house built? The answer is fascinating: It wasn't built that way. Just like the Templo de la Compañía, the Portal Chaparro is a victim of the passage of time and urban modifications. Originally, the portal had a standard height, but over the centuries, the level of the plaza and surrounding streets was raised through successive paving and landfilling.

Today, what we see is a building partially "swallowed" by the earth. This disproportion is evident if you look at the facade: the ground floor resembles a basement or mezzanine, while the upper floor maintains its normal dimensions. It is, in essence, a historical marker indicating where the inhabitants of the 16th century once stood.