Valladolid

History

Founded in 1543 in the ancient Mayan city of Zací, “The Pearl of the East”, is a welcoming city, full of history and the pride of Yucatán. For centuries it has been identified by the richness of the Spanish legacy infused in its temples and in the ancestry of its old quarters.

It has an exceptional colonial flavor and a walk around the streets is a walk into the past: brightly colored mansions, the suburbs with their churches and, of course, the imposing Convent of San Bernardino de Siena, palpable evidence of the Franciscan presence throughout the peninsula. The cozy Parque Principal shades locals and visitors alike with its laurels, and in the afternoons the bird calls fill the air, announcing the end of the day.

Lying to the east of Yucatán, it was the scene of heated rebellions and fierce battles. The surrender of the Maya from the east of Yucatán, the Cupul rebels, was attributed to the nephew of the conqueror also named Francisco de Montejo. The Spaniards made camp around the lagoon, called Chouac-Há by the natives, which seemed like the best place. The site would be the operational base to overcome the Cupules and take their capital, Zachical which means “White Hawk” and symbolizes the bellicose nature of the Zací community.

Located 50 kilometers from the coast, it was an important political and religious center where the nobles of the Cupul lineage resided. Defeating them was the most difficult task for the Spanish soldiers; nevertheless, on 23 May, 1543 Captain Francisco de Montejo, “the Nephew,” finally founded the town which he named Valladolid in honor of the Castilian city of the same name.

Among its attractions is the imposing Convent of San Bernardino, majestic in size and reserved in its Franciscan style. The main altar-piece was worked in wood painted with gold, with sculptures and motifs which give it an unmistakably baroque appearance. The Virgin of Guadalupe found here, the most highly worshipped among Mexicans, is around 400 years old. The church of San Gervasio, with its towers, exhibits the cannons used in 1848 to win back the city from the hands of the Indian rebels who started the Caste War. The streets conserve their pride in a glorious past.

Also interesting are the Municipal Palace and the temple of San Juan de Dios. Close by sits the Zací cenote, a deep, freshwater deposit which once supplied the vital liquid to the whole town, and now functions as a restaurant and natural pool.

Throughout the city a wide variety of goods and gastronomic delights can be found: leather and henequen goods, woven vines and stonework; restaurants where local dishes like oriental escabeche, turkey in sak-kol, smoked sausage and typical lomitos can be tried. Valladolid is a wonderful example of the provincial flavor of our Mexico.