Not only the churches are monuments of the city. We have also a few significant ones which are well known for the people who has come to Merida and a great attraction for the people yet to come.

Here are a few of our favorites, with their locations, proceeding outwards from the main plaza:

Casa de Montejo (C. 63 with C. 62 & C.60)

Built in 1549 by the indians of Mani on the south part of the Main Square. It was the residence for the founder of the City Francisco de Montejo It's a Construction of plateresco style , considered as the most important sample of the civil architecture of the 16th century. It's front stands out for the originality on the carved stone work.

Monumento a la Patria (Paseo de Montejo & Campo Deportivo Av.)

Considered as the first shrine built for the nationality in Mexico and the American Continent, created by the master Romulo Rozo. It was inaugurated in April 23th, 1956 by the President Adolfo Ruiz Cortinez. It's the only monument carved directly from the stone in all the world and our atomic century. It represents the Texcoco Lake, the eternal harmony and tradition. Its 31 colums stand for the 28 states of Mexico, 2 territories and the Distrito Federal. It is described the time of the Colony, Independence, Reforma and Revolution. It's a beautiful view through the history of Mexico, as a giant chain which links are forged with all the metals, from the most noble and rich to the most humble, making This a complete and harmonic monument.

Palacio de Gobierno (C.61 with C.60 & C.62)

Built as residence for the governors and general captains of Yucatan. Its style is neoclassic, from the XIX century. It was bringed down in 1883 and it was rebuilt in 1892 according to the original project. It has 2 floors adorned with portals, a inner yard and archways. There's a beautiful ladder made of stone and quarry, a Dolores' Bell replica, fixed on the central window of the building. Nowdays is home for the office of the State Goverment. The "Actos" hall is on the second floor, where the history of Yucatan is represented by beautiful paintings made by the painter Fernando Castro Pacheco.

Palacio Municipal (C. 62 with C.61 & C. 63)

Its raising started in 1734. In this place the independence of Yucatan from Spain took place. In 1871 the clock was placed, the first in Merida. Here there were celebrated the national festivities of September 16th and May 5th until 1892 (The foundation of the actual Government Palace). You can see in the "Cabildos" hall a representation of the half-breeding in a fresco paint. Nowday is the office for the H. City Hall of Merida and the Municipal Presidence of this city.

Parque de las Americas ( Colon Av. & C. 19 Garcia Gineres )

Built under the goverment of Ernesto Novelo (1942-1945). It's a beautiful building consisting on 3 sections: The first one in form of a demicycle, inspired in the architecture of the ancient mayans, it has ornamental details resembling the bundle of canes of the Maya, building principle for all the rural huts. The second is a construction that stylizes the pleasing configuration of the mayan hut, standing out the Totems of the Faisan and the deer. The main piece is the exposition hall with murals of the american continent and portraits of illustrious figures of the American Freedom by the painter Bolanos Gallardo. The third section is an outdoors theater, with an acoustic shell. The disposition of all resembles the building of the Thousand Columns Temple in Chichen Itza. This 3 sections were added to the playground for children. This place symbolizes the Panamerican Ideal.

Palacio Canton (Paseo Montejo & C.43)

It was finished during the early 1900 and it's considered the top reached for the henequen culture in Yucatan during the Porfiriato. The project of the construction was in the hands of the italian engineer Enrique Deserti, who also colaborated with the building of the "Jose Peon Contreras" Theater. It was also supervised by the Eng. Manuel G. Canton. The mansion, which owns the name of its owner, Gral. Francisco Canton, was raised with materials and equipment brought from Europe, especially from France, Germany and Italy. It's front is of Renaissance French style with a great profusion of elegant ornamentations that stand out among balconies and cornices and a peculiar ending of masandra, an architectural element very used in Euope which purpose was to prevent the snow from gathering on the roof of the buildings. The inner view is of great beauty, with a good quantity of rooms decorated with plaster-works with the same french style, floors of marble and an elevator that was the first one to exist in the city. Now is house of the Antropology Museum.

MACAY: Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Ateneo de Yucatan (C. 60 with C.61 & C. 63)

As a part of the facilities of the former building known as the Peninsular Culture Club (Atenero Peninsular), which building ranges from 1573 to 1636. Located on the Main Square of Merida, it had many uses during its history, as for modifications in its structure, being one of the most important the given by Manuel Amabilis, who added a neorenaissance french style. It has been the house of the Cathedral's fathers, Colegio de San Ildelfonso, Ateneo Peninsular, Archepiscopal Palace, chapels for St. Joseph and the Holy Rosary, Seminary, religious shelter and office of the goverment. As a museum, it opened its doors on April 29th, 1994. With the support of the INAH (National Institute of Anthropology and History) and the Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM) . it has 9 galleries for temporal expositions of visual and plastic arts as for its own auditory, library, newspaper collection, picture collection, video collection, bookstore and cafeteria. Its diffusion estrategy consists on the transmission of a weekly television program, cultural collaborations in the press and the edition of an informative bulletin. It offers guided visits, concerts, conferences, publishing presentations and courses and workshops of painting, sculpture and ceramics for children, young and adults.

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