Santo Domingo de Guzmán Church

When Spanish Franciscans completed this church in 1646, they faced an unexpected problem: the Maya villagers refused to enter. In traditional Maya religion, only priests could enter sacred temples- commoners who crossed the threshold faced death. It took Catholic priests over a century to convince locals they wouldn’t be killed for stepping inside. The double-headed eagle above the door tells this story of collision: officially Habsburg Spain, but perhaps also a nod to Maya eagle symbolism, where dual heads represent contemplation between good and evil.