Archivo General del Estado de Yucatán

Mérida

The Archivo General del Estado de Yucatán (AGEY) is the official repository for the Mexican state of Yucatán. It holds 161 documentary groups that comprise more than 5,000 boxes of records. 16 of these groups make up the Fondo Colonial, the Spanish colonial records of Yucatán. These groups contain correspondence of colonial officials, court and criminal records, notary testimonies, and much more. A PDF catalog of the colonial records can be found here. Also available are the Fondo Muncipios, which comprise the records of Yucatán’s municipalities dating back to 1796. Other records held by AGEY can be found here.

Archivo Histórico de la Arquidiócesis de Yucatán

Conkal

The Archivo Histórico de la Arquidiócesis de Yucatán is the largest depository of colonial documents in the state of Yucatán. Its holdings date back to 1543 and chronicle the administrative history of the Diocese and Archdiocese of Yucatán. Also available are records of the Cabildo de la Catedral de Mérida, with the earliest documents originating in 1636. The Archive maintains a Google Doc that catalogs its holdings. Additional information on the Archive’s collections and material requests can be found here.

Other Yucatán Sources & Archives

The Government of Mexico maintains a list of archives and research libraries within Yucatán. It can be searched here. One useful resource for studying the history of Yucatán is the Biblioteca Virtual de Yucatán, a digital library that provides access to various Yucatán sources from the 17th to the 20th century.

After being conquered by the Spanish, the area that became Yucatán was placed under the administrative control of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. As such, documents related to the colonial administration of Yucatán are located in Mexico City at the Archivo General de la Nación and in Spain at the Archivo General de Indias.