Architecture, Merida

Chichen Itza is probably the most important city of the Mayan Culture in the Yucatan peninsula and has the most amazing buildings of any other Mayan ancient cities. Chichen Itza is also the largest and most impressive of the Mayan ruins, is an spectacular and mystical place to visit, if you only want to do one day trip during your vacation in Cancun, this should be this one. Chichen-Itza (chee-chehn eet-sah) in Maya, was a sacred city of the Itza and the name literally means: "Mouth of the well of the Itza". Located 75 miles east of Merida, the capital of the State of Yucatan, Mexico; it covers an area of approximately six square miles where hundreds of buildings once stood. Now most are mounds but more than thirty may still be seen by tourists. The ruins of Chichen Itza are divided into two groups. One group belongs to the classic Maya Period and was built between the 7th and 10th centuries A.D., at which time the city became a prominent ceremonial center. The other group corresponds to the Maya-Toltec Period, from the later part of the 10th century to the beginning of the 13th century A.D. This area includes the Sacred Well and most of the outstanding ruins. https://www.cancunadventure.net/mayanruins/chichenitza.php

At Km 2.7 of the Puerto Juárez - Punta Sam highway north of Cancun, is El Meco. On the site you can see 14 structures with a main temple: El Castillo, which is a pyramid of five levels. http://cancun.travel/en/mayan-culture/El-Meco

Located in the heart of Belize City, St. John’s Cathedral is one of the few physical legacies of the long period as a British colony. Built in 1812 as the Church of England’s headquarters in Central America, the cathedral was once used to crown four different native kings of the Miskito tribe in lavish ceremonies matching the pomp and circumstances of coronations in Europe. Today, the cathedral is the oldest surviving building constructed by Europeans in Belize. Using the enormous ballast stones brought over from Europe, English colonizers in what was then known as British Honduras erected the mighty St. John’s Cathedral as the power base of the Church of England in Central America. Visitors today can marvel at the well-preserved architecture made from sapodilla and mahogany wood, an antique pipe organ and tombstones of English colonists from the earliest days of the settlement of Belize City. https://www.belizehub.com/st-johns-cathedral/

The Malecón, first named Avenida del Golfo, is Cuba’s most famous sea-side avenue. The project was undertaken by Don Francisco de Albear, Cuba’s greatest engineer at the time. Albear came up with a complex but smart design for the seawall, which was to be a lot more than just a promenade. According to historical records, the avenue was supposed to be constructed 4 meters above sea level. The whole project would cost 850,000 pesos, but the Spanish government didn’t bring itself to issue the construction permit and Albear’s proposal was postponed. The construction of the Malecón began in 1901. After the first stretch was completed, for which several public facilities were demolished, construction works were resumed in 1921, and again in the 30’s.The architectural richness of the Malecón is also expressed through 18th- and 19th-century stately homes, followed by a row of 20th-century buildings with an unusual combination of styles and profusion of portals, columns and pilasters that loosely follow classical lines. But beyond the architectural values of the buildings, its greatest charm lies in being somewhere to stroll or hang out on a stiflingly hot day. It is a place where couples come to make amends, especially at sunset, in the company of children and fishermen. It is Havana’s outdoor lounge. http://www.lahabana.com/guide/the-malecon/

El Capitolio, or the National Capitol Building is one of the most visited sites in Havana. This majestic construction, located in the Centro Habana, is similar to that in Washington D.C, but a meter higher, a meter wider, and a meter longer, as well as much more rich in detail. It was started to be built by Gerardo Machado in 1926 supported by North America. Formerly, it was used as headquarters of the Cuban Congress, but since 1959 it has hosted the Cuban Academy of Sciences and the Science and Technology National Library. The entrance is sheltered by 6 huge Doric columns, on top of a 55 steps granite staircase. In both sides on top of the stairs there are two amazing sculptures in bronze, a masculine and a feminine one, both 6,70 meters high, by the Italian Angelo Zanelli. When you cross them you’ll arrive to the Hall of Lost Steps, named in this way due to its wonderful acoustics, and in which center is the Republic statue, a huge woman in bronze 14,60 meters high and more than 30 tons weight, representing the virtue of the nation and work. https://www.tripcuba.org/el-capitolio-havana

Old Havana, located around the five main squares, and has one of the most impressive ensembles of historical architecture. From Baroque to Art Deco, from Neoclassicism to Art Nouveau, the rainbow-colored facades of the area adorn the diverse cultural heritage of Cuba. Founded in the early 16th century on the southwest coast of Cuba by Spanish conquistador Pánfilo de Narváez, Havana moved twice before taking permanent establishment on the Caribbean island’s northwest coast. Strategically chosen for its location in the Gulf of Mexico, Havana became a mandatory stop for ships traveling to and from the New World, and quickly became the largest port in the Spanish West Indies. Today, the city still claims some of the oldest stone fortifications in the Americas, and Old Havana, or Habana Vieja, claims some of the most beautiful architecture. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/north-america/cuba/havana/old-havana-world-heritage-site/

Castillo de los Tres Santos Reyes del Morro (Morro Castle) was erected between 1589 and 1630 to protect the mouth of the Havana port from pirates and invaders. The fortress stands on a rocky promontory known as El Morro, over the Atlantic. It was the King of Spain who ordered the castle to be built and appointed Juan de Texeda, a field commander, and Batista Antonelli, a military architect, to lead the works. The castle was originally planned to have an irregular polygonal shape, with three-meter-thick walls and deep moats. The castle is an perfect example of renaissance military architecture, and is endowed with an harmonic elegance that melds with its natural surroundings through a series of terraces fused to the rock. Nowadays, the castle offers impressive views of the sea and Havana. The lighthouse that crowns its tower was added in 1844 and helps guide ships docking in the port. https://www.tripcuba.org/morro-castle-havana

Castillo de la Real Fuerza Castle in Old Havana, Cuba, one of Cuba’s most ancient castles. It is a great sample of military architecture during the Spain's rule over the Caribbean. It is located in the Plaza de Armas Square in Old Havana facing the sea. The Castle, as well as the rest of the old city’s fortifications, has been declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Castillo de la Real Fuerza Castle is the oldest fortress still preserved in all the Americas. It was built between 1558 and 1577, in the same location where a fort was destroyed by French pirates in 1555. The west tower is crowned by the copy of a well-known bronze weathervane called La Giraldilla. The original was made in Havana in 1630 and is quite similar to the Giralda of Seville. https://www.tripcuba.org/castillo-de-la-real-fuerza

Discover the unique heritage and culture of Cayman via this lovingly restored window into the 18th century that’s only a 20-minute drive from George Town. At a time in the Cayman Islands when most people lived in tiny, thatch-covered houses, a wealthy Englishman, using slave labour from Jamaica, created an astonishing 3-storey building called Pedro St. James. In the 1990s, the Government of the Cayman Islands purchased Pedro St. James and painstakingly restored the Great House to the splendour of its 18th-century heritage. Today, visitors can stroll through the imposing edifice with its period furniture and authentic artefacts to experience what life was like so long ago in Cayman’s history. https://pedrostjames.ky/?doing_wp_cron=1596783793.3607161045074462890625

*The Monumental Clock of Pachuca, created with white quarry and with similar equipment of Big Ben, the clock marks the centenary of the Independence of Mexico and was inaugurated on September 15, 1910. http://watchesworld.com.mx/en/special-reviews/10-monumental-clocks-10-time-wonders/

Love at first sight is a common experience for first time visitors to the Garden District. It often goes something like this: they’re traveling up St. Charles Avenue via the streetcar when they get their first glance of the oak tree lined streets and historic homes. You can tell by the pristine look on their faces, that the Garden District has started a new found romance. The romance blooms as the afternoon is spent exploring memories of New Orleans’ antebellum past, gazing at secluded mansions, wandering down the brick lined sidewalks. Its canopy of oak trees is world-famous, while its characteristic gardens of hibiscuses and crepe myrtles, angel trumpets and bougainvillea, make it one of New Orleans' most beautiful neighborhoods. The Garden District has worked its magic again. http://www.experienceneworleans.com/garden-district.html

Historic Jackson Square, originally known in the 18th century as "Place d'Armes," and later renamed in honor of the Battle of New Orleans hero Andrew Jackson, is a timeless attraction in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans. This famous landmark facing the Mississippi River is surrounded by historic buildings, including the St. Louis Cathedral, the Presbytere and Cabildo (Louisiana State Museums), not to mention the Lower and Upper Pontalba Apartments, the oldest apartment buildings in the United States. The Pontalba Apartments offer retail shops, museums, galleries and restaurants on the ground level; their second and third floors still house a selection of prestigious apartments. For well over a half-century, there has been an open-air artist colony at Jackson Square. Local artists paint, draw, create portraits, caricatures, and display their work on the square's iron fence. Some have been there for generations! Jackson Square is a favorite site for visitors and locals. The artists, restaurants, museums, merchants and the square itself make Jackson Square one of the French Quarter's most popular destinations. http://www.experienceneworleans.com/jackson-square.html

Facing Jackson Square and flanked by the historic Cabildo on one side and the equally historic Presbytere on the other, St. Louis Cathedral is among the tallest and most imposing structures in the French Quarter. And one of the most recognizable. http://www.neworleansonline.com/directory/location.php?locationID=1288

This street is a tourism destination for a reason. It’s a thoroughfare with an utterly fascinating history, home to some of the oldest bars, family-run restaurants and gay entertainment districts in the country. In short, while there’s plenty to discover off of Bourbon, there’s a lot to discover on the iconic street as well that may surprise those travelers who turn their nose up at all the flashing lights. http://www.frenchquarter.com/bourbon-street/

For a full 13 blocks, Royal Street runs parallel to Bourbon Street, yet this thoroughfare – one of the finest stretches of art galleries, antique stores, wrought iron balconies, restaurants and architecture in the USA – is sometimes almost completely missed by visitors. This is a real shame; beyond the qualities we’ve just described, Royal Street makes a nice counterbalance to the neon and noise of Bourbon. http://www.frenchquarter.com/royal-street-a-block-by-block-guide/

Built on an islet in the center of the lake, the city of Mexico grew up with a network of canals and artificial islands, making the Templo Mayor take place. The Spanish conquerors built he Metropolitan Cathedral on top of it, so the memory of the old and imposing pre-Hispanic Temple was lost for centuries. In the late 70s, workers from the electricity company accidentally found structures that the archaeologists identified as the sought temple. Fortunately, today you can visit a large dug up section in a good state of conservation. You can admire sections of the temples dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, the lord of war, and Tlaloc, lord of the rain. Between the walls of several sections of the temple, there are altars, snakes carved in stone and an imposing Tzompantli, which is a wall covered with representations of skulls, this because the Aztecs worshipped the dead, tradition maintained by Mexicans. https://www.visitmexico.com/en/actividades-principales/mexico-city/templo-mayor-museum

Mexico City’s mammoth cathedral was built across three centuries (1573–1813)—starting soon after Cortés and his allies vanquished the Aztec Empire—using stones taken from a destroyed indigenous temple. Today’s sanctuary serves up contrasts between unadorned neoclassical walls alongside exuberant gilt chapels and altarpieces as well as a massive pipe organ, with some baroque elements, that’s still dusted off and played from time to time. Be sure not to miss the high altar, and consider shelling out for a visit to the sacristy, with its glistening dome, grand canvases, and massive cabinets, fit to hold an archbishop’s entire stock of holy utensils. And for a queasy view of how much the ground beneath the city is sinking, note how chandeliers appear to list in comparison to the chapel’s vertical lines. https://www.afar.com/places/mexico-city-metropolitan-cathedral-mexico-city

The Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City is one the grandest sites among its many attractions. The Palacio de Bellas Artes (Bellas Artes Palace) is located close to the Zocalo and neighbours the Alameda Central Park. This attraction should be on the must-visit list for tourists in Mexico City. The Palace serves as the main venue for the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico. It also hosts exhibitions and theatrical performances. The Palace also provides encouragement to visual arts, music, literature, architecture and dance. It houses two museums within its building. The Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes (Bellas Artes Palace Museum) features temporary exhibits while the Museo Nacional de Arquitectura (National Architecture Museum) occupies a permanent place at the top floor of the building. The first and second-floor of the building feature epic murals done by some of Mexico's greatest artists such as Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Jose Clemente Orozco. The star highlight of the Palace is the glass curtain in the main theatre. This striking stage glass curtain is a stained-glass foldable panel that features the landscape of the Valley of Mexico with its two great volcanoes, Popocatepetl and Iztacchihuatl. https://www.mexicocity.com/blog/2012/11/23/palace-of-fine-arts-in-mexico-city/

Chapultepec has the rather dubious distinction of being the only castle within North America to ever house actual sovereigns. It was originally constructed in 1725 on the orders of the Viceroy Bernardo de Gálvez, and was meant to be a large manor house for the Viceroy, who was the commander-in-chief of the Spanish colony, New Spain. Currently the castle is the seat of National Museum of Cultures, which was formerly known as the Museum of Natural History. It was established as such by Lázaro Cárdenas in 1939. In this capacity it is open to visitors who can come and tour both the castle itself and the various collections it now houses. Through the past decades it has become a favorite location of movie directors appearing in both Robert Aldrich’s Vera Cruz and Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/chapultepec-castle

Featuring a single-level, 30,000-square-foot gaming floor with 1,500 slot machines and 51 table games, including a poker room; a hotel with 205 guestrooms and a rooftop pool. The casino also includes a multi-purpose event center with concert seating for up to 1,400 people or banquet seating for up to 800 people, a covered parking garage, unique dining options and entertainment venues overlooking the Mississippi River. https://www.visitbatonrouge.com/listing/lauberge-casino-baton-rouge/1295/

The Henry B. Plant Museum is housed in the 1891 Tampa Bay Hotel, the Victorian railroad resort that defined the elegant frontier, now a National Historic Landmark. Unlike most museums dedicated to lifestyles of the past, it contains the actual furnishings enjoyed by the first guests to visit here. The Museum accurately reflects the opulence of turn-of-the-century America and the vision of American transportation pioneer, Henry B. Plant. The Museum seeks to transport the visitor through educational exhibits and events to the late Victorian period, the beginning of Florida’s tourist industry, and the early years of the city of Tampa. http://www.plantmuseum.com/

Established to provide and sustain a publicly accessible center for the collection, preservation, and interpretation of the material culture, cultural landscapes and vernacular architecture of Louisiana and the Lower Mississippi River Valley. Visitors see how the settlers of Louisiana established an admirable society in spite of great odds, gain insight into the difficulties faced by their ancestors, and learn why Louisianans are a unique people with roots from many parts of the world. Tour 32 historic buildings within the Museum Complex, and the historic Windrush Gardens. https://www.visitbatonrouge.com/listing/lsu-rural-life-museum-%26-windrush-gardens/241/

The Straz Center for the Performing Arts provides world-class entertainment, ranging from lavish Broadway shows to classical music and rock concerts. It is the largest facility of its kind in the Southeastern United States. http://www.strazcenter.org/

A 1792 French Creole plantation house authentically restored with outbuildings and gardens covering 15 acres. This landmark is a unique southern Louisiana landmark because of its age, quality of restoration, and outstanding collections. Magnolia Mound's mission is to illustrate and interpret the lifestyle of the French Creoles through educational programs, workshops, lectures, festivals, and other special events. The property includes a historic museum house, an open-hearth kitchen, overseer's house, quarter house, crop garden pigeonnier and carriage house. https://www.visitbatonrouge.com/listing/magnolia-mound-plantation-a-brec-facility/244/

Built in 1963 when Jimmy Davis was Governor of Louisiana, the Mansion is located on Capitol Lake near the State Capitol. Because so many antebellum mansions were being destroyed by fire and neglect, Gov. and Mrs. Davis instructed the architects to design a mansion in the Greek Revival style, which was the dominant style in Louisiana after 1830. This period marks a distinct departure from earlier Louisiana architecture. The Mansion contains a total of 25,000 square feet of space in three floors and a basement. https://www.visitbatonrouge.com/listing/louisiana-governors-mansion/237/

This Baton Rouge landmark is a commemorative sculpture by the late SU Alumni Frank Hayden, erected on the Southern University Baton Rouge campus to mark the site of the famous exchange on Scott's Bluff that gave the city of Baton Rouge its name, meaning "Red Stick" in French. Wondering what "Baton Rouge" means? The story has it that long ago, this area in Louisiana along the mighty Mississippi River was occupied by two indigenous tribes, the Houma Indian Tribe and the Bayougoula Indian Tribe. To settle a border conflict between them, the tribes used a cypress pole to mark the boundary dividing their hunting grounds at an area now known as Scott’s Bluff. This marker on the east bank of the Mississippi River caught the eye of French-Canadian explorer Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville while making his way upriver during an exploration in 1699. He and his men saw the bloodied cypress pole on the bluff, adorned with animal parts and stained red from the tribes’ latest haul, and dubbed the area "le bâton rouge," French for "Red Stick". In 1810, the area became part of the colonies and in 1817, the town was officially incorporated as “Baton Rouge.” Locals still lovingly refer to the city as "The Red Stick." https://www.visitbatonrouge.com/listing/the-red-stick-sculpture/2300/

Hidden in modern North Miami Beach, the Ancient Spanish Monastery takes us back. An enclave of European architecture and history, this Florida Heritage site—which was originally built in Sacramenia, a municipality of Segovia in northern Spain—has endured a long and interesting history to become the South Florida monument we know and love today. “The Ancient Spanish Monastery is a little piece of Spanish history,” says Father Gregory Mansfield, Curator of the Ancient Spanish Monastery Museum & Gardens. “Construction began in 1133 AD, almost 360 years before Columbus left Spain and arrived in the Americas, and it took eight years to complete. There are over 35,000 stones, some of which weigh a ton and a half.” In the 21st century, the Ancient Spanish Monastery serves as both a peek into history and a tourist attraction. At the entrance to the property, there’s a museum with historic Spanish artifacts like a hymnarium and pieces of armor worn during the Crusades. In that same building, there is also a gift shop with souvenirs available for purchase. http://www.miamiandbeaches.com/attraction/ancient-spanish-monastery/100839

Come and visit the historical Buffalo Soldier National Museum and learn more about not only African American history but American history as well. The goal of the Buffalo Soldier Museum is to interpret articulate collect display and preserve historical artifacts documents videos prints and other historical memorabilia which details the history of the brave men and women who overcame extreme adversity while gallantly fighting the great American wars. http://houmuse.org/visit/buffalo-soldiers-national-museum/

Houston’s most photographed site, this dramatic 64-foot U-shaped fountain has water rushing down its inside and outside walls.Designed and created in 1985 by the internationally acclaimed architectural team of Philip Johnson and John Burgee, the Water Wall pumps 78,500 gallons of recycled water every three hours and 20 minutes. More than 180 live oaks shade the three-acre area that plays host to families and couples out for a stroll, picnic, or even a game of Frisbee. https://www.visithoustontexas.com/listings/water-wall/20713/

With an incredible view of the sheltered harbor and the bay of Santa Lucia, you will find the most important maritime fortress of the Pacific - San Diego Fort - Historical Museum of Acapulco. https://www.visitmexico.com/en/main-activities/acapulco/visit-san-diego-fort

It is a small but charming “Magical Town”, just 4 hours away from Acapulco, nestled in an area surrounded by great hills and mountains, thanks to the intense exploitation of its silver deposits. Its people still live from the commerce and manufacture of objects that the precious metal alloys; the baroque constructions raised during the mining boom of the Colony are still preserved. Any terrace is good to contemplate those jewels of the past, the new and small must be sought among the cobbled streets that go up and down everywhere. In addition, Taxco has a peculiar beauty, because this magnificent Magical Town has the ability to transport us to another time and space, just to the time of colonial Mexico. Its beautiful cobblestone streets are characterized by its inclination, and almost all of them lead to beautiful little squares where it is possible to walk, visit the kiosk or sit on one of their benches. https://www.visitmexico.com/en/main-destinations/guerrero/taxco

The Gainesville Community Playhouse is one of the oldest community theatre in the state of Florida. Its first play, The Pied Piper of Hamlin, was produced in 1927 and have been producing quality plays and musicals ever since. In 2006, Gainesville Community Playhouse moved into our present facility, the magnificent Vam York Theater, a 210-seat house with facilities to stage the most demanding musicals and plays. http://www.visitgainesville.com/attractions/gainesville-community-playhouse/

The Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention, located at 811 South Main Street, is a museum of ideas. The question is not what you will see but what will you imagine and create. Dr. James Robert Cade, a kidney specialist at the University of Florida, was best known as the leader of the research team that invented Gatorade in 1965. In 2004, Dr. Cade and his family established The Cade Museum Foundation in an effort to design and build a 26,000 square foot museum in Gainesville, Florida. The mission of the museum is to transform communities by inspiring and equipping future inventors, entrepreneurs, and visionaries. The Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention offers interactive activities in the Creativity and Fab Labs, hands-on learning in the rotunda, Studebaker Sundays, outdoor educational activities, travelling exhibits, and much, much, more. Cade programming and events are designed to engage guests in “purposeful creativity,” the kind that leads to great inventions, new businesses, and ideas that change the world https://www.visitgainesville.com/explore/attraction/cade-museum-for-creativity-invention/