By Luis Felipe Rodriguez
On September 13, 1864, Austrian Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg, who had been named Emperor of Mexico, arrived in San Miguel de Allende. Maximilian was said to be a righteous, wise, and kind man. As soon as he arrived in Mexico, he wanted to get to know the country he was to govern and visit one city a month. He left the capital on Monday, August 15, “to explore and enthuse” the cities of the interior. “The impressions that Puebla and Mexico experienced when witnessing the solemn entrance of the new sovereign on their streets,” the editor of Diario del Imperio said, “have not been felt in Querétaro, Guanajuato, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, and León with the same strength and promptness. The southern populations need, more than the others, to see for themselves the benevolent and calming image of the institutions that must ensure their happiness, and to see it in the person of the monarch who visits them.”
The Emperor set out with some servants, leaving his wife Carlotta in charge of the government. His journey was triumphant but slow, such that after a month he had only reached Chamacuero, after visiting Morelia, Querétaro, and some smaller towns. On September 13, he left Chamacuero very early for San Miguel de Allende, and “having to get down from the carriage several times due to bad roads,” arrived in the city at 1:30pm. At the sentry box, a commission made up of the most important citizens was waiting for him. He climbed onto an uncovered and discreetly adorned cart in which he made his entrance into the town. He was surrounded by an enormous crowd, the bells of all the churches pealed, and the crowds shouted “viva.”
On the corner of the main square, by the Canal home, a great triumphal arch had been erected. It was described as being “of Roman origin and bore a statue of the emperor with the national flag in hand.” All the houses were profusely decorated with covers, tapestries, and flowers.
Maximilian proceeded to his lodging in Calle de San Francisco (the current Casa de Europa), where the authorities were waiting to pay their respects. From there he went to the parish, where he was received under a canopy, in the atrium, by Bishop Don José María de Jesús Diez de Sollano and all of San Miguel’s clergy clad in their rich ceremonial garments. The Bishop of León gave him holy water on the tips of his gloved fingers, then they proceeded together under the canopy to the throne that had been placed in the presbytery to the right of the main altar. They were surrounded by an immense crowd and the sounds of a magnificent orchestra that performed “Domine salvem fac imperatorem.”
After the ritual prayers, the Te Deum was sung, and Maximilian descended from the throne and kneeled on a damask-covered prie-dieu in front of the altar. There he received the episcopal blessing from Bishop Sollano. The Emperor returned on foot to his quarters to dine. The banquet was very solemn, with an orchestra, choirs, and soloists, and warm toasts were made at the end of the meal. The ladies from San Miguel lamented the absence of the Empress. Maximilian made a heartfelt speech, promising to report back to Carlotta and, with tears in his eyes, thanked everyone for the enthusiasm with which he had been received.
He then visited the prison, the hospital, and the school, where he started to distribute money and toys to the children. As rain threatened, he had to return to his accommodation quickly. As dinner time approached, he was entertained with a ball game in which all the social elites of San Miguel took part. When the game was over, the storm began. To the great disappointment of the residents, who had prepared a misa de gallo, a late-night mass, it was cancelled because of the rain. That celebration turned into matins, sung by some of San Miguel’s most elegant ladies. Maximilian appeared on the balcony to thank them.
After breakfast he returned to the school because he hadn’t completed the visit due to the threat of rain the previous night. He finished distributing the gifts and encouraged the teachers, using an ancient, royal gesture he was known for. He then went to the Guadiana park, which was decorated for the event. According to the imperial diarist, it made a very good impression on him. The main meal that day was once again solemn, with the Bishop of León sitting to the right of the Emperor. In the evening there was a dance, but Maximilian didn’t attend as he was very tired. He went to sleep very early and slept late. Because of this he also missed the lit-up main square and Calle San Francisco. He also missed the castillo fireworks that did poorly due to the persistent rain that drenched the city again.
Emperor Maximilian won the heart of San Miguel de Allende through his attendance at activities and festivities. It was felt that he was very benevolent because he suppressed corn taxes for two months, which made the product cheaper and accessible to all. The City Council, however, would lose a lot of profit with this imperial act, so it was granted that they could tax some other item of secondary necessity. “For example,” said Maximilian, “brandy.” He also gave 100 pesos of his own money to the poor, but he forgot to decorate a citizen, as was his custom in all the cities and towns he had visited.
On September 15, Maximilian left San Miguel very early in the morning, as he was in a hurry to get to Dolores to hear the cry of Independence, which was to be given from the window of Father Hidalgo’s bedroom. Once in Dolores, he went “on foot to take a good look at the sumptuous buildings,” and only got into his carriage on the outskirts of the city. The neighbors, the City Council, the clergy, and many of the townspeople saw him off.
(Extracted from “San Miguel de Allende,” by Francisco de la Maza.)
