¡ Visita la casa del Indio Fernández! (GALERÍA)

Whose house this was. Emilio "El Indio" Fernández was the central director of the golden age of Mexican cinema, and a figure around whom myths accumulated — among them that he was the model for the Oscar statuette. His father was a revolutionary general and his mother of Kickapoo descent, and both halves of that inheritance show in his films.

The house. Begun in 1946 on a quiet street in Coyoacán, designed by the architect Manuel Parra in a Mexican style that deliberately evokes the great haciendas: volcanic stone from the local lava fields, very high ceilings, large courtyards, a maze of corridors and small corners built for altars.

Who passed through it. It became a meeting place for the film world and for intellectuals. Marilyn Monroe, Frida Kahlo and Dolores del Río are all part of its history — and the story most often repeated is that Che Guevara hid in its cellar.

Visiting. The house can be seen on guided visits, which is the only way to get beyond the facade; the interiors are the point.

Practical notes. Coyoacán has no Metro of its own: Viveros-Derechos Humanos and Coyoacán, line 3, are about twenty minutes on foot from the centre of the neighbourhood. Arrange the visit in advance rather than turning up, and combine it with the Jardín Centenario and the Frida Kahlo Museum — booking that one online, since it sells out daily.