Haciendas in Mexico were the basis of an economic system begun by the Spaniards in the 16th century, similar to the feudal system of Europe. They were efficient farming and manufacturing centers that produced meat, produce, and other products for export. Over time, haciendas became symbols of wealth and culture, adorned with architecture, furnishings and art from around the world.
The haciendas of Yucatán saw their heyday in the early 1900s when the local economy was booming due to the sisal fiber that was used to make rope, cord, and twine. The mansions on Paseo de Montejo and Avenida Colón in Mérida, are the rich homes the “green gold”, henequén, helped provide. It was the same owners of these mansions who built haciendas off in the countryside where the henequén was produced. After the Yucatán Caste War and the subsequent invention of synthetic fibers.
