Built over the ancient Maya city of T’Ho, the capital of Yucatan is a nice colonial town with its narrow streets and the bright colored façades crowning its Spanish colonial architecture centered around the Plaza Grande (the Zocalo) the ancient Spanish Plaza de Armas.
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Zocalo the Plaza Grande
In the East side of the square the imposing Cathedral of San Ildefonso (1598) with its twin towers in Renaissance style. The first Mexican coat of arms crowns the main entrance. The cathedral has been built over the pyramid of the ancient Maya city of T’ho and many of the stones were recycled from the ancient city. Inside, the church is rather unadorned. Next to the Cathedral the white “Ateneo Peninsula’. A pedestrian passage ‘the Pasaje de la Revolution’ separates the cathedral from the museum.
Government House, in the northeast corner of the square, contains murals (1979) depicting historical events from Maya days. Along the staircase the murals portray the scenes described in the Popul Vuh. Upstairs in the Hall of History, are interpretations of the Caste War, of Fray Landa’s burning Maya books, etc. Under the ‘portales’ that run the length of the building there are several restaurants, including the Sorbeteria an ice cream parlor, with assortment of sherbets in exotic tropical flavors.
On the west side of the plaza is the red painted Palacio Municipal (1734) with a fine clock tower. On the South side Casa de Montejo (16th-century) a combination of Moorish, Gothic and Renaissance styles. The Montejo family that ruled the Yucatan for almost 300 years used to live here until recently. The bas-relief of the façade shows two Spanish knights standing upon the heads of defeated Maya warriors. Today the house hosts a bank.
Just west of the main plaza Las Monjas one of the former Franciscan monasteries surviving in Merida (1589).
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Calle 60
Running from Plaza Mayor, this is Merida main drag for strolling. A half-block north, on the right is the Parque Hidalgo with the ancient Iglesia de Jesus (1618) one of Merida older buildings with the quiet little Parque de la Madre in front.
The modern buidig of University of Yucatan (19th c).
The small Parque Santa Lucia was once a stagecoach stop and the center of the slave market. The church on the park was built in 1575 for blacks and mulattos.
Left over from Colonial times are the unique and artistic street name plaques set into the walls of building corners all over the old city.
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Paseo Montejo
Walking the Paseo de Montejo you will pass some imposing colonial buildings. Among the others we noticed:
Casa Montes Molina (1902).
Palacio Canton (1900) (Museum of Anthropology and History) once the governors’ residence, an indication of the opulence of the high henequen period.
At the Northern end of the Paseo Montejo the Monument to the Nation, a large stone circular monument with a Maya statue holding the Mexican flag.
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