The complex is named after Juan Cruz Ruiz de Cabañas, who was appointed bishop of Guadalajara in 1796. He commissioned the building's design from Spanish architect Manuel Tolsá in 1803, following royal decrees encouraging the construction of houses to attend to the needs of the poor. Orphans began arriving in 1810, though construction would not be completed until much later. To the left you will see statue of the bishop (who died in 1823) that stands in the Institute's courtyard.