Izamal, Yucatán, México

Izamal, is called both la Ciudad Amarilla (the Yellow City) and

The calesas at Izamal, Mexico

la Ciudad de las Tres Culturas (the City of Three Cultures). It is arguably the most attractive of all the Yucatan Colonial cities because most all of the houses in town are painted yellow, giving it a unique atmosphere and charm. It is a quiet city, with bicycles, triciclos (tricycles) and calesas (horse-drawn carriages) outnumbering cars on the streets. Izamal is located 72 km (45 miles) east of the city of Merida, and about 272 km (170 miles) west of Cancun.

Remarkably, several Mayan pyramids survived the Spanish Conquest and still stand to this day. The Mayans in Izamal worshiped Izamna and the sun god Kinich-Kakmó, among others. Kinich-Kakmó is also the name of the largest pyramid in the Yucatan. It boasts an area of 4 hectares (11 acres). Because the city itself was built on top of much of the Mayan City, further excavation is impossible.

Izamal was probably one of the oldest Mayan cities in the Yucatan, occupied from around 300 BC until the Spanish conquest. It is believed to have reached its peak around 600 AD. A long sacbe (stone road) was built from Izamal to Ake, suggesting the two cities had some type of business or military alliance.

After the Spanish conquest, Izamal remained a center for pilgrimages.

The monatery of San Antonio de Padua

Due probably to its history as a major center for Mayan religion, a Franciscan Monastery was built here in the center of the city. The Franciscan friars arrived in 1549 and built the monastery on the Mayan Paphol’Chac (Home of Chac), the largest platform in Izamal. Bishop Diego de Landa chose the location, he said, in order to replace the place of abomination and idolatry that stood there before.

In 1561, just after the completion of the monastery, an image of the Virgin was brought from Guatemala by Bishop Landa and named Nuestra Señora de Izamal (Our Lady of Izamal). This image of the Virgin was credited with a number of miracles that have been questioned by some, but played an important role in the Christianization of the Yucatan nonetheless. In 1829, the image of the Virgin was destroyed in a fire. It was replaced by an identical image that had been brought from Guatemala at the same time and kept in a private home in Merida.

Every December 8, there is an event to commemorate the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception. The people from Izamal visit the virgin during the celebrations. In 1993, Pope John II came to Izamal. A sculpture of him remains on the grounds of the Monastery.

The most impressive thing to visit in the city is the Monastery of San Antonio de Padua. The principal church in the Monastery is called Santuario de la Virgen de Izamal (The Virgin of Izamal Sanctuary). The size of the Monastery's atrium is often compared to the one in Saint Paul in Rome, and is the largest in Mexico. Entry into the Monastery is free, unless you want to visit the Catholic Museum, which is $20 pesos (US$2).

The Kinich Kak Mo and other pyramids of Izamal are also worth visiting.