The house is located on Avenida Colón (between 60 and 62) downtown Mérida.
The local media says Grupo Meca, owner of the Villa Mercedes hotel, will begin in 4 months the construction of a hotel in the “Santa Cecilia” residence, located on Colón Avenue and sadly famous because of the double murder committed there in May 2016.
Since 2018, Italian investors have presented to the Merida City Council the restoration and habilitation project of the “Santa Cecilia” Maison on Colón Avenue, an architectural gem that could add 124 rooms to the hotel offer of the Yucatan capital.
The site will have an investment of 15 million US dollars and is expected to start operations in 2021.
Umberto Pinazzi, president of the Mecca Group, explained that a group of specialists, in coordination with the authorities, seeks to highlight the splendor of this large house whose interior and exterior will not undergo any modification.
“We want to preserve the architectural details to make it more attractive to tourists who visit the property during their stay, the 124 hotel rooms will be built in the back of the house,” he said.
Architectural jewel
The “Santa Cecilia” house, although it is not listed as a Historical Monument, is located in an area of Historical Monuments of Merida by a federal decree issued on 1982, and since 2004 the space in which the house is located was declared Cultural Heritage Area of the Municipality of Mérida.
The house has a great value for its neoclassical Porfirian architectural characteristics. Its finishes and interior details are practically intact.
Double homicide
Unfortunately, the place became relevant in 2016, after the discovery of the elderly couple Juan Manuel “N”, 91 years old, and his wife Lucely “N”, 87, who were killed inside the house.
A few days later, the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) arrested the two alleged murderers whose motive for the double murder was robbery.
The detainees were identified as José Rodrigo “N” and Pedro Pablo “N”, who had already been imprisoned on more than two occasions for robbery of houses.
The first investigations indicated that both perpetrators were under the influence of alcohol and possibly drugs too, so when they were discovered by the elderly couple, Juan “N” and Lucely “N”, they freaked out, went mad and murdered them both.
Juan, who was a violinist, was killed with a knife, and the woman was strangled.
However, three years after his arrest, in October 2019, the Second Trial Court acquitted both detainees, who had been sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2017, accused of the double murder.
The Court made up of Fabiola Rodríguez Zurita, Nidia Celis Fuentes, and Kenny Martins Burgos Salazar, issued the judgment of non-guilt by unanimous vote since there was no conclusive evidence that placed the subjects at the murder scene on the day of the crime.
