Francisco de Montejo came to Mexico in the early 1500's. He was a conquistador who conquered the State of the Yucatán and became the leading civil authority in Mérida. In 1529 he built this house on the central plaza of Mérida, where it still stands today. The house is a perfect example of the Renaissance period which has an elaborately carved facade, still intact, which exemplifies plateresque style in a civilian context.
The house was occupied by Montejo's descendants until the 1970's. Since then, the Montejo House has had many modifications inside, according to the tastes of its various owners and the architectural and decorative fashion eras, yet still preserving its stunning cover.
In 1981 the National Bank of Mexico acquired the house and proceeded to restore the inside to its original look. In a second intervention of restoration and adaptation, part of the house was made into a museum.
Neat Features:
Above the doorway a man hunches over bearing the weight of the upper tier, perhaps representing Montejo’s dominance over the Maya. Also, if you look closely, the statues on either side of the entrance are both standing with one foot on a Mayan head.
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