With its gorgeous colonial architecture, enchanting cobblestone streets and striking light, San Miguel de Allende is rightly one of Mexico’s biggest draws. It’s impossible to think of San Miguel’s rich architectural history without envisioning its many colonial mansions; many of which were built in the mid-18th century, when the town was a “logistics” hub between Mexico City and silver mining communities in the states of Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi and Zacatecas. An example is the House of the Counts of the Canal, now a museum owned by Banamex. Back in the day, San Miguel was the market center for this silver district, making the town rich.
Now known for its Day of the Dead festivities with skulls, skeletons, and graveside visits, San Miguel’s historical and colonial mansions house both a gruesome history and stories of hidden treasures. This blog article introduces you to both as they are now deeply woven into the fabric of this enchanting town.
Let’s start with the Casa de Inquisidor, a baroque building with a hand-carved stone façade, completed in 1780 (Cuadrante 36, Centro, Zona Centro). It was the residence of the local head of the Spanish Inquisition, hence the name. Across the street from this residence was the Gaol of the Inquisidor, a building with no windows. People accused of not following the doctrines of the Catholic Church or of practicing witchcraft were imprisoned and tortured here while they waited to be burnt in a huge ‘auto-de-fe’ – ‘fires of the heretics.’ Those connected with the Inquisition used any means necessary to get the information they needed to prove or disprove their cases, and there are many stories about cruelty and torture connected with those involved in the Holy Inquisition’s investigations.
The legend goes that the souls of those who were tortured in the inquisition are still wandering around in the big old mansions of San Miguel. Every respectable house in San Miguel has a ghost from the times of the Inquisition, which remained officially in force until the early 19th century. Particularly at the corner of Dr. Hernandez Macias and Cuadrante, where the Goal was located, where locals still report strange sounds coming from inside the house.
The grand houses of San Miguel are also the source of legends and tales of hidden treasure. During the 18th Century when San Miguel was flourishing, locals wanted to hide gold and silver coins from bandits or as a savings. Coins and other treasures were kept in a clay base and either buried in the back yard or hidden in the wide big walls of the houses in San Miguel. Some locals would die without mentioning where the treasures were hidden. Many believe that several now very wealthy families made their fortune finding these treasures during house restorations.
My grandmother, who lived in San Miguel in the 1940s, told a story about the teenage sons of friends who were left alone at home one evening. Knowing of these treasure stories, the kids started searching for clues of potential treasures by knocking on the big walls of their home. Hearing a different sound in one spot, they started to create a large hole. To their surprise, after reaching into the hole, they discovered very nice silverware. Thinking they had located a large treasure, they reached even deeper and grabbed a piece of fresh cheese. Suddenly, they realized that they had breached the neighbor’s pantry. They went to bed immediately. The next morning, the next door neighbor’s servant knocked on the door and said, “Mr. Hernandez is asking if you could please return the silverware and the cheese so they can have breakfast.”
Maison Mexique is housed in one of these 250-year old colonial mansions. The remodel was completed by collaborating with San Miguel-based female architects and local furniture and cabinetry designers. In your next stay at Maison Mexique, please do not try to find treasures, we have already checked all walls and the patio. The ghosts only show up in a couple of rooms, but they are very friendly.
About Maison Mexique. We are autochthonous – native where it arises. The hotel celebrates the culture, heritage, and nature of San Miguel and surrounding. This article was written by Juan Carlos Villa, one of Maison Mexique’s investor owners. He and his wife, Carmen, split their time living in Mexico City and San Miguel.
