Source: WTL photograph© taken on site in Mérida.
Notes: Here you see an example of a seventeenth-century Spanish colonial style building. This building has an undecorated exterior, strong rejas (wrought iron bars) on the large windows (for security), thick walls (to protect against the heavy heat in Yucatán), and white stucco (to reflect the sun's rays). Sober exteriors belie elaborate and gracious patios on the inside. This architectural pattern is found throughout Latin America, which reflects a style typical of Spain, especially southern Spain (Andalucía).
Humanities question: What does it say about a people (that is, looking at this humanities architectural style) that such people choose to live with strong sober exteriors and gracious, inviting, attractive interiors?