Casa de Montejo - the oldest building in Merida

After the founding of the city of Merida in 1542, Francisco de Montejo "el Adelantado" began distributing land on which settlers were to build their homes, having previously reserved the entire southern part of the large square for himself. Before his death in 1543, he ordered his son to build a house on this site where his family would live. Francisco de Montejo the Younger "el Mozo" began construction of the Montejo House (Casa de Montejo) in 1542; construction continued for seven years, and today it is the oldest surviving building in Merida. This is a true colonial palace, with triumphant conquistadors holding halberds standing on the heads of ordinary barbarians on the facade.

Typical of symbolism are the colonial sculptures, with the defeated far fewer than the victors; in various churches of the region, large priests are depicted towering over or before the small number of indigenous people. Also, busts of Montejo the Elder, his wife, and daughter look out from the facade onto the square. The balconies facing the main square have no entrances or stairs—specifically designed for horsemen. Since 1549, it was used as a palace for the first Spanish governors and as the Montejo family residence, the conquerors of the Yucatan Peninsula. In the following years, Francisco de Montejo the Younger lived in Casa de Montejo with his family; after his death, his wife inherited the property, and then the house was passed down to children from generation to generation until 1832. Finally, the historic Montejo family estate was purchased in 1840 by Don Simon Peon, who settled there with his family, and gradually its appearance began to transform. The facade underwent changes, and by 1885 a balcony appeared that did not exist in 1834. A corridor was added to the west side of the main inner courtyard, a dining room was equipped next to the kitchen, and living areas were added.

At the end of the 19th century, the residence was rebuilt both inside and out. In 1896, windows with caryatids formed by figures of indigenous men and women holding palms and laurel wreaths appeared on the facade; balconies on the facade were replaced, the floor was raised by 60 cm, columns were hidden and turned into pilasters, new marble floors were laid in the house, a new staircase was built next to the corridor, bathrooms were added, and old carpentry was reconstructed, giving the doors a neoclassical look. Some items were also decorated with wooden inserts, wallpaper, and soffits.

As a result, the exterior of the house increasingly resembled, except for the main facade, a late nineteenth-century residence, but despite this, Casa Montejo is the only residential house in the Renaissance style in Mexico, with elements of Baroque, some Gothic style, and local color.

Currently, the building houses the Cultural Center and Montejo Museum with a permanent exhibition of restored furniture from the economic heyday of Yucatan, in the neo-Rococo and neo-Renaissance styles.

Sources:

https://yucatan.travel/fr/experience/casa-montejo/

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_de_los_Montejo

https://en-yucatan.com/merida-yucatan/casa-de-montejo/