Alley of Romance

🌹 Poetry, Secrets and Love Locks 🗝️

Just steps away from the majesty of the Fountain of the Tarascas and the Aqueduct, hidden away is a narrow passage that seems frozen in time. It is the Alley of Romance, the favorite refuge of couples and the most “Instagrammable” corner of the eastern part of the Historic Center.

But don't be fooled by its current name. Before becoming the scene of kisses and promises, this alley had a past of workers, coal and soap.

🏭 From “Socialism” to Romance (The Transformation)

The story of this alley is the tale of the “ugly duckling”. At the end of the 19th century, it was known as “The Stock Exchange Alley” and later, curiously, as the “Socialism Alley”. At that time, there were no flowers or quarry. It was a passage of adobe houses and dirt floors where the workers from a nearby soap factory lived. Milk and coal merchants passed through here, far from the glamour of Madero Avenue.

It was until 1965 that the city decided to rescue. The facades were remodeled, covered with pink quarry stone, and lanterns, fountains, and planters were installed, and the September 29 of that year, it was officially reborn with its current name.

📜 The Poet Behind the Name

Why “Romance”? It’s not just marketing. The name pays homage to Don Lucas Ortiz Benítez (1904), a celebrated poet from Michoacán, born in Taretan. Ortiz wrote a beautiful poem called Romance of My Citywhere he lovingly describes the corners of Morelia.

• The detail to note: As you walk down the alley, look at the walls. You'll see bronze plaques with verses from this poem. Reading them as you go is part of the experience.

🗣️ A fragment to recite:

“Romance of my city, city of the high towers and of the immense squares where silence devours the noise of tales…

Morelia of the quarry, rose of the winds, rose of quarry and wood, lady of the ancient and of the new tales…”

— Lucas Ortiz Benítez (Fragment from Romance of My City)

🔒 The Legend of the Padlock and the Red Ribbon

Today, the alley has its own magical ritual, similar to the bridges of Paris, but with a Michoacán twist. Legend says that if you go with your partner, you must bring a a padlock and a red ribbonThey must write their names on the corners of the ribbon, tie it to the padlock, and lock it to one of the gates or walls of the place. According to the myth, if they manage to leave their padlock there, Their love will last forever.

📍 Why visit it from Pátzcuaro?

It's the perfect, quick detour. It connects the hustle and bustle of Avenida Madero with the tranquility of Calle 20 de Noviembre. It's a place of visual peace: its bougainvillea, pink quarry stone and the shade of the buildings make it a cool respite, ideal for taking photos or simply walking in silence after visiting the Aqueduct.