//
The colonial Franciscan Monastery of San Antonio de Padua was completed in 1561. It looks like it's atop a natural hill, but the base is really an ancient Mayan acropolis. When completed, the atrium was second in size only to the Vatican. Mayan and Yucatan history buffs should be sure to look inside for the original painted portrait of Bishop Diego de Landa, the conquistador-era cleric with the double edged legacy: his written accounts preserve invaluable information about Mayan history and culture, but at the same time, de Landa ordered the burning of all the pre-Hispanic Mayan libraries, as part of his campaign to stamp out paganism. A sound and light show is held in the atrium Monday thru Saturday evenings.
© OpenStreetMap contributors