OUTSTANDING ARTICLES
Discover more?
The biggest open atrium in Latin America stands in Yucatan and forms
part of San Antonio de Padua?s convent. This imposing religious construction
from the 16th century is one of the emblems of Izamal,
a town which is located 93 km
from Merida.
Thanks to its rather vast dimensions ?almost 8000 m²- this space was
able to shelter hundreds of devotes who came on the 11th of August
1993 to take part in a mass which was led by the Pope John Paul ll during his third visit to Mexico. Ever since that day
all the houses and buildings in the historical center of Izamal
are painted in white and yellow, the colors of the Vatican.
In Izamal, in addition to being able to visit
the cloister and the temple of the Purísima
Concepción, you can check out the 75 arches which delimit the atrium from the
convent. Another place definitely worth
visiting is the ruins of what used to be the temple of Kinich
Kak Moo (also known as the Great Pyramid), dedicated
to Itzamná, an ancient solar deity of the Mayas. The
rest of the 80 pre-Hispanic constructions emerging from between the houses,
shops and restaurants, seem to be there as a reminder to the current population
of the proud indigenous origin of the place. During your stay in this magical
village, you should not miss the audiovisual show called "Magic and voices of
the Mayas" which is projected in the Ex-convent of San Antonio de Padua: it is
a beautiful trip to the past which reveals the undeniable greatness of this
civilization.
