Palace of the Government of the State of Yucatán

You are now standing in front of the seat of the state’s executive power and one of Mérida’s most important civic buildings. It stands on a highly symbolic site, once occupied by the Casas Reales during the colonial period, where Spanish governors lived and governed. The current building was constructed between 1887 and 1892 in a sober, harmonious neoclassical style, organized around a large central courtyard designed to bring in light and a sense of coolness. As you step inside, your attention is immediately drawn to the murals. Between 1971 and 1975, the Yucatecan artist Fernando Castro Pacheco created an extraordinary series of twenty-seven murals here, tracing the history of Yucatán in powerful, captivating images. These works do not idealize the past: they portray the brilliance of the Maya civilization, the brutality of the Spanish conquest, the exploitation of Indigenous peoples and the violence of the Caste War. Although this building still serves as the official seat of the government of the state of Yucatán, it is freely open to visitors and functions as a true public cultural space. On the upper floor, the Salón de la Historia is a vast ceremonial hall whose paintings recount the region’s major historical events, while the nearby Salón de los Retratos completes the visit with portraits honoring Yucatán’s leading political and intellectual figures. If it is open during your visit, be sure to go inside and let the murals lead you through the story of the region.