Far from seeming like a historical or touristic place, the Puente del Fraile, a site recently named cultural heritage of Guanajuato for being part of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, has been abandoned and goes unnoticed on the side of the San Miguel de Allende-Celaya highway.
Until a few years ago, less than 20, the ancient bridge was still used to get to San Miguel de Allende, from Celaya or Guanajuato capital. With the construction of the new highway, the bridge was left on the side of the highway and was ‘closed’.
More than for its historical importance, the Puente del Fraile is recognized among San Miguel residents as a point of mysticism, legends and myths, even witchcraft.
During this holiday season, some San Miguel residents who know about the bridge like to visit it out of curiosity to see how it is, in addition to the fact that, given the recent rains, the waterfall that forms under the structure of the road is an attraction to go and take photos.
However, for visitors who travel along the nearby road, the historic site goes unnoticed among the grass, since not even the stream that runs below it is visible from the expressway during this season.
During this holiday season, some San Miguel residents who know about the bridge like to visit it out of curiosity. Photo: Ingrid Devesa
The Puente del Fraile does not have any sign indicating its name or its historical importance, nor is there any protection or signage at the site. To access it, you just have to cross some grass at the edge of the road.
On the old road there are graffiti of children’s games, and on the underside of the bridge there is graffiti and, although the water that runs through the area has managed to clean it, there are still samples of garbage and old tires that people throw into the riverbed that passes under the bridge.
What rituals do you perform at the Puente del Fraile in San Miguel de Allende?
Among the San Miguel community, it is known that the lower arches, which are under the bridge in the city, are used by those who perform Santeria and witchcraft rituals, which is why they look sooty due to the traces of the fire that they light inside. It is also common to find remains of candles, eggs and flowers that they use for these rituals.
Although these are generally carried out at night, during a tour a group of people could be seen carrying out work in the area in broad daylight, which caused uncertainty among some visitors who came to see the waterfall.
Source: periodicocorreo
