Merida Yucatan Mexico: Down Town video

Merida Yucatan Mexico: Down Town HD video:
The current Governmental Palace was preceded by the Casas Reales or Royal Houses, which were seat to the colonial government. Administrative and government business was carried out there, but it also served as home to the Crown representatives and governors. It was named Palacio de Gobierno after the Independence. As the XIXth century came to a close the old building was destroyed and a new one was erected. It was inaugurated on September 15th, 1892. It was supposed to house all offices pertaining to the executive power. The neoclassic Palacio is two stories high and extends over a quadrangular surface of a little over 137 feet, front and depth. Inside, a central courtyard of great dimensions stands out. It also has 27 murals that were painted between 1971 and 1978 by yucatecan artist Fernando Castro Pacheco. These are distributed in both floors, in the corridors, the Salón de la Historia and the stairwell, and are considered the most important modern pictoric work in Yucatán because of their content and skill. The Governmental Palace is not only a real museum but also sums up the political life of the state.

Iglesia Catedral
It was built 19 years after the founding of Mérida, in 1561, when king Felipe II requested the capital's church be set up as cathedral and assigned to San IIdelfonso, archbishop of Toledo. It became the first cathedral in America built on solid ground. The architectural style is Moorish, for the towers and inside; the façade is Renaissance. It has baroque altarpieces on some walls. Its sober façade has a semicircular arch where the main door "Puerta del Perdón or Foregiveness Gate" is located. It is flanked by statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The clockwork for the enormous clock was built in London (1731). It told time until 1871.

Museo de Arte Contemporáneo
Originally the bishop's palace or Palacio Episcopal, in 1915 this building was confiscated by the ruler in turn, General Salvador Alvarado, who not only began to alter the façade and interior but also ordered the demolition of both chapels that joined it to the Cathedral. Its current name comes from the literary society which met here, the "Ateneo Peninsular".

Casa de Montejo
Following his father's orders, Francisco de Montejo y León "El Mozo" had this house built between 1543 and 1549. It was to become this conquering family's dwelling place. Its façade, the only part of the house that hasn't been altered, is considered the most valuable jewel of architectural Plateresque art in the country. Cut in stone, the original statues of figures and mythological beings catch the eye.

Plaza Grande
To get acquainted with Mérida you must start at the Plaza Grande. For over three centuries, the Plaza Grande (as locals call it) has been the heart where the city's political, ecclesiastical and civilian life beats. Even though it is a silent witness to the history that has been written around it, important events have taken place at this square, such as the execution of indigenous leader Jacinto Canek and the federalist's combats.

Palacio Municipal
City Hall was built during Santiago Aguirre's term in office (1734-1736). Here is where the Independence of Yucatán from Spain was decided, and where the public holidays of 16 de Septiembre and 5 de Mayo were celebrated until 1892, when the modern Governmental Palace was inaugurated. Its façade has been modified several times in the course of the years. For example, in 1871 the first clock in Mérida was placed here. The oldest coat of arms of the city, which once adorned the eastern wall of Ciudadela de San Benito, that no longer exists, is fitted on the wall by the staircase. The elevated courtyard at the back is what remains of the Mayan pyramid of Bakluum-Chaam.

Teatro José Peón Contreras
This venue owes its name to Yucatecan poet, novelist, playwright, essayist, doctor and politician José Peón Contreras (1843-1907). Construction began in 1902 under the direction of Italian Enrico Deserti. It was inaugurated in 1908. In the front foyer a monumental staircase made from Carrara marble stands out. It leads to the second floor, where the concert hall and upper foyer are located. On its central dome there is a magnificent fresco painting by the also Italian Nicolás Alegretti, which is called Alegoría de las artes y de las ciencias (Allegory of Arts and Sciences).

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• yucatan
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