Mérida - Casa Montejo

The south side of the Plaza Mayor is dominated by the Casa Montejo, one of the finest examples of Spanish colonial architecture, built in 1549 as the residence of the Montejo family. Originally this palace, with its magnificent Plateresque façade, extended along the whole of the south side of the square. The large and handsome rooms are laid out as a museum around two patios and furnished with antique furniture imported from Europe. Note the coat of arms of the Montejo family and the stone sculptures of conquistadors standing with one foot on the bowed head of a conquered Maya. Until 1978 the house was still owned by descendants of the Montejo family; it now belongs to the state. There is a branch of a bank on the ground floor.