Iglesia de la Merced

The first church built in Honduras [1], construction on La Merced began in 1550, on the reputed site of the first mass spoken in the valley. Its baroque facade is thought to date from the early years of the 18th century. Many of the paintings and sculptures in the church were made in the 17th century.

Across the street, there’s a small square with a pillar in the center, known locally as La Picota. It was erected in 1820 in honor of the liberal Spanish Constitution of 1812—illustrating Comayagua [2]’s loyal colonial sentiments when the rest of the country, and indeed the continent, was heading toward independence from the mother country.