The Ladies' Bridge is Underground!

In Guadalajara there has been a legend about an underground bridge that was buried under the city as it developed over time.  As I am intrigued by history and architecture, this was a tour that I wanted to check out.

Stepping onto the historic Puente de las Damas, I received more than I had anticipated.  As I am a beginner student of Spanish, it is very difficult for me to understand the language when spoken.  I tend to shy away from situations where only Spanish will be spoken.  Well, not this day!  Unbeknownest to me, the whole tour was in Spanish and none of the staff spoken any English!  Well, here was another Spanish immersion course. 

As we descended below ground, it clearly felt like crossing a threshold into the city's rich past. What was discovered, just a few years ago, is an iconic bridge with majestic arches.  Located in the Mexicaltzingo neighborhood, the bridge was constructed and used back during the 18th century, when the city had ravines and small streams that caused a division between San Juan de Dios and the rest of the city . During the rainy season, this caused commercial and social activities to be interrupted when the rains descended.  

As popular history tells us, a group of Catholic ladies were the benefactors of the bridge's construction. These women had Fray Antonio Alcalde as their spiritual mentor and they desired to visit the church on the south side of the city.  The women requested that the bridge be built.

As the city of Guadalajara grew over the decades, during the 19th century, the ravines and streams began to be filled in to take advantage of the land. The Mexicaltzingo neighborhood was no exception and the Puente de las Damas / The Ladies Bridge was buried.

It was in November 2016, the city of Guadalajara was carrying out renovation works on the municipality's roads that the Puente de las Damas was discovered by the workers.  After a restoration process, the Puente de las Damas was opened as a museum in 2022.

If you desire to visit, tours are offered for free.  The tours only have a capacity of 15 people at a time, so you may have a brief wait like I did.  The tours last about 20 minutes.  So, get out and explore the history of Guadalajara…above ground and below.