By Maria Ruiz
Friday of Sorrows is a Catholic tradition deeply rooted in San Miguel de Allende. It is held on the last Friday of Lent to announce the arrival of the Holy Week. It commemorates the suffering of the Virgin Mary—Virgen de los Dolores—when she saw her son carrying the cross.
To honor the Virgen of Dolores, some San Miguel families set up an altar in their homes. There will always be candles, sour oranges with golden pennants, white and purple flowers, germinated wheat, aromatic herbs such as chamomile and mastranto, colored water, and an image of the Sorrowful Virgin. This precious and solemn tradition is carried out with great fervor in houses, churches, and public spaces in San Miguel. Everyone is welcome to observe and meditate on the seven sorrows of the Virgin. After wrapping yourself in a mystical atmosphere thanks to the dim light of candles, the ancient images, the smell of tuberose, and Mozart’s “Lacrimosa,” or Schubert’s “Ave Maria,” the hosts of the homes offer flavored water, a popsicle, ice cream, or conserva, a typical San Miguel dessert made with pumpkin.
Tomorrow, March 31, is the Friday of Dolores. Here is a list of the best altars in the city.
Your starting point will be the Jardín Principal. Head to the Casa de Allende Museum to admire the majestic altar made by the artist Alejandro Soleá. Your next stop will be San Rafael Church, known as the Holy School, located next to the Parroquia. Following this, walk along Sollano to enter Radio XESQ and visit the altar that they put there. From Sollano, return to Correo and enter the house of Dr. Dobarganes which is a beautifully well-preserved house. Follow Recreo toward Hospicio until you reach Barranca and visit the altars of the few remaining houses there.
Go down Huertas, through Terraplen, where you will find one of the most beautiful altars in the city. I like the care and dedication that the owner of that house puts into the mats. From there, go down to Aldama, turn left, and in the middle of the street, almost in front of Matilda Hotel, you will find what for me is the best altar. You will smell the fragrance of tuberose as soon as you enter, and the music will make you want to stay there for hours. From there, continue along Aldama until you reach Parque Juarez, turn onto Tenerías, and at the corner with Jesús you will find the house of Genaro Almanza. He was a great artist from San Miguel about whom we have already talked about in the pages of this newspaper.
You could end the tour there, but if you want to visit more altars, return to Centro. On Mesones street you can go into the Mesón de San Ignacio. Sadly, the altars in the Centro are decreasing because residents have been moving to neighborhoods on the outskirts of town. It would be good if, to preserve this beautiful tradition, the residents of this area would unite and set up their altar for the Virgin of Dolores.
