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<\/b>.<\/p>\n\ud83c\udfed From \u201cSocialism\u201d to Romance (The Transformation)<\/h4>\n
The story of this alley is the tale of the \u201cugly duckling\u201d. At the end of the 19th century, it was known as \u201cThe Stock Exchange Alley\u201d<\/b> and later, curiously, as the \u201cSocialism Alley\u201d<\/b>. At that time, there were no flowers or quarry. It was a passage of adobe houses and dirt floors<\/b> where the workers from a nearby soap factory lived. Milk and coal merchants passed through here, far from the glamour of Madero Avenue.<\/p>\n
It was until 1965<\/b> 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<\/b> of that year, it was officially reborn with its current name.<\/p>\n\ud83d\udcdc The Poet Behind the Name<\/h4>\n
Why \u201cRomance\u201d? It\u2019s not just marketing. The name pays homage to Don Lucas Ortiz Ben\u00edtez<\/b> (1904), a celebrated poet from Michoac\u00e1n, born in Taretan. Ortiz wrote a beautiful poem called Romance of My City<\/i>where he lovingly describes the corners of Morelia.<\/p>\n The detail to note:<\/b> 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.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n \ud83d\udde3\ufe0f A fragment to recite:<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cRomance of my city,<\/i> city of the high towers<\/i> and of the immense squares<\/i> where silence devours<\/i> the noise of tales\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n Morelia of the quarry,<\/i> rose of the winds, rose<\/i> of quarry and wood,<\/i> lady of the ancient<\/i> and of the new tales\u2026\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 Lucas Ortiz Ben\u00edtez<\/b> (Fragment from Romance of My City<\/i>)<\/p>\n Today, the alley has its own magical ritual, similar to the bridges of Paris, but with a Michoac\u00e1n twist. Legend says that if you go with your partner, you must bring a a padlock and a red ribbon<\/b>They 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<\/b>.<\/p>\n 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<\/b>: 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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n
\ud83d\udd12 The Legend of the Padlock and the Red Ribbon<\/h4>\n
\ud83d\udccd Why visit it from P\u00e1tzcuaro?<\/h4>\n
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