Monumento a la Patria (Motherland Monument)
On a roundabout on the Paseo de Montejo is an imposing cantera stone monument by the 20th-century sculptor Romulo Rozo. The Monumento a la Patria is a neo-Mayan work, with highly detailed reliefs and sculptures around a semi-circular wall.
These show Merida’s coat of arms and a wealth of Mayan symbols like the reclining Chacmool, a pair of Jaguar Warriors and the Ceiba tree with four butterflies, representing the glory of the people of Mexico. There’s also a half fish, half bird signifying Mexico’s sovereignty over the sky and seas. The body of the relief charts important moments in the history of Yucatan and Mexico, like colonisation, independence, reform and revolution.The most prominent figure is a Mestiza woman at the apex of the semicircle wearing necklaces and bracelets and symbolising the “homeland” above an eternal flame.
