Casa de Montejo

Casa de Montejo Review

Two Franciscos de Montejo—father and son—conquered the peninsula and founded Mérida in January of 1542, and they built their stately "casa" 10 years later. In the late 1970s it was restored by banker Agustín Legorreta, converted to a branch of Banamex bank, and now sits on the south side of the plaza. It's the city's finest—and oldest—example of colonial plasteresque architecture, a Spanish architectural style popular in the 16th century and typified by the kind of elaborate ornamentation you'll see here. A bas-relief on the doorway—the facade is all that remains of the original house—depicts Francisco de Montejo the younger, his wife, and daughter, as well as Spanish soldiers standing on the heads of the vanquished Maya.