Monumento a la Patria

Mérida’s most iconic monument sits at the northern tip of the historic Paseo de Montejo, marking the beginning of the modern Prolongación Paseo de Montejo. It was designed by the Colombian artist Rómulo Rozo.

The monument was inaugurated in 1956 after 12 years of work. It is dominated by a 14-meter-high stone figure of an indigenous man holding a flame. The structure has 31 columns, representing Mexico’s 28 states, two territories and the Federal District.

Rozo died in Mérida in 1964 at the age of 65, after spending his last 33 years in Yucatán. His remains are buried at the foot of the monument.