Guanajuato is one of the favorite tourist destinations both locally and internationally, as well as being the cradle of our independence.
Like almost all the colonial cities of our country, it is a place with many myths and legends ... and one of the most famous is the Callejón del Beso, which dates precisely from the colonial era.
What is the Alley of the Kiss?
In one of the narrowest streets of the city, two houses were built, the proximity of which allows that between the balconies there is a separation of only 75 centimeters.
In what city is the Callejón del Beso?
This famous place where the legend was born, is located in Guanajuato, capital of the state of the same name, and is located in a typical neighborhood of the city called the Faldas del Cerro de Gallo.
What is the reason why all lovers should know the Alley of the Kiss?
According to tradition, lovers who visit this place must kiss on the third step to ensure 15 years of good luck, or else bad fortune will haunt them for 7 years.
Why is it called the Alley of the Kiss?
It was in this place where a kiss on the hand sealed a love story between its protagonists: Dona Carmen and Don Luis, who had a sad ending in their romance.
Who is the author of the legend of the Alley of the Kiss?
As in all legends, it is not known who the author is or how it came about; only a few details are known that combine part of fantasy and part of reality and that have transcended from generation to generation.
From what period is the legend of the Alley of the Kiss?
It is said that it took place during the 16th and 17th centuries, when social classes were still very marked in society.
Who kissed in the Alley of the Kiss?
Doña Carmen and Don Luis are the protagonists of this story, where she was the daughter of an aristocrat and he, a modest miner who fell in love with Doña Carmen (while they saw each other every Sunday at mass).
The Alley of the Kiss: Is it Myth or Legend?
It is known that El Callejón del Beso is a legend because it occurred in real time, in a historical place and with non-fictional protagonists, unlike myths, whose main characteristic is that they happen in unreal times with fantastic characters.
What is the Legend of the Alley of the Kiss about?
According to legend, Dona Carmen was the daughter of a rich and very severe man; she fell in love with Don Luis, a miner whom she saw at mass. This was not to the liking of the lady's father; Therefore, he decided to lock her in her room with the threat of taking her to a convent.
Doña Carmen used Doña Brígida, her companion (as was the custom in the ladies of society), to let her loved one know, through a letter, her father's intentions.
Desperate, Don Luis looked for a way to buy the adjoining house at a really high price, to be able to talk with his beloved Dona Carmen through the balconies.
And they did so every night, while the faithful Brígida guarded the door of the room to prevent Doña Carmen's father from discovering the lovers.
But one night, upon hearing murmurs in Dona Carmen's room, the father enraged Dona Brígida when he discovered his daughter with the miner.
Such was his courage that, feeling disgraced, he stabbed a dagger in the chest of the enamored Carmen, while Don Luis only managed to kiss the hand that he still held in his, while his beautiful girlfriend lay inert.
It is said that Don Luis, when he could not bear the pain of losing his beloved, committed suicide by jumping from the top of the La Valenciana mine.
This is how the legend of the Callejón del Beso was born, which is part of the many stories that have been spreading by word of mouth in Guanajuato, a city that is proudly a Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 1988.
Legend of the Alley of the Kiss
Do you dare to come to know this place? We will wait for you!
