Palenque, Palace Courtyard. Chiapas, Southern Mexico. Late Classic Period.
Palenque
is a beautiful site, located in the lush green foothills of the Sierra
de Chiapas, overlooking the swampy expanse that leads all the way northward
to the Bay of Campeche.
I have had the opportunity of visiting this charming Maya City on many
occasions and each time there is something new to explore and see. Discovered
by Father Antonio Solis in 1746, the rich architecture of this site
has been illustrated by many, including the Mexican, Jose Luciano Castaneda
in 1807 and the incomparable Austrian, Comte de Waldeck in May. 1832
With the invention of the daguerreotype and the development of photography,
the Frenchman Desire Charnay and the Englishman Alfred Maudsley and
his wife were amongst those intrepid explorers who recorded the wonders
of Palenque. At its height, Palenque flourished between 431 and 800
A.D.
It was under the rulership of Pacal and later his son, Chan Bahlum,
that Palenque developed into a great center of power and a vision of
true beauty. The remarkable art created at Palenque, including the vast
inscriptions recording the royal lineages and the graceful palaces and
temples, is living testament to one of the New World’s greatest
cities.
