ABSTRACT
The iconography of the opulent façade conveys many narratives, including conquest, fidelity, and individual and family noble station. All of these themes are present in the heraldic works Gasper Antonio Chi created. Certain motifs and design elements of the works were drawn from ecclesiastical texts, and the heraldic and dynastic content was rooted in sixteenth-century concerns over royal rewards and honors. Chi’s heraldic works directly address the challenges the Xiu faced in maintaining its stability following the Otzmal massacre and the conquest wars. In creating the heraldic works, Chi seemingly understood the inherent messages of the Montejo facade, which conveys multiple narratives concerning conquest and fidelity as well as individual and family noble station. The facade of the Casa de Montejo occupied a location that was also important for many Indigenous American cultures, which developed hierarchies of space, both social and built.
