Inside Yucatán: Hidden Mérida and Beyond

Susana Ordov嫳's Inside Yucat嫕 is an ode to the merging of the ancient with the contemporary. At the turn of the 20th century, more millionaires lived in the isolated region of M廨ida than in any other city in the world, building breathtaking, brightly colored homes nestled into the surrounding tropical greenery like hidden jewels. Over time, nature conquered, leaving crumbling structures in place of what were once vibrant, lavishly decorated mansions. But today, Ordov嫳 reveals, Yucat嫕's "forsaken, decaying ruins, remnants of an illustrious past . . . are awakening from a centuries-old siesta." Here, in Guido Taroni's evocative new photographs of more than 30 previously unseen residences across the peninsula, in such places as Izamal, M廨ida, and Valladolid, decadence and beauty shine through what remains of the homes' diverse, contrasting styles, from Renaissance to Baroque, Medieval to Moorish, and occasionally a combination of all. Setting the houses in context, three specially commissioned maps of the region have been beautifully illustrated by renowned artist Jes Cisneros. In her detailed commentary, Ordov嫳 celebrates their eccentric, distressed charm and hails the revival of this magical land.