Francisco Cantón Rosado Square

It may not look like it, but you are actually standing on top of an ancient Maya pyramid, or very close to where one once stood. On the exact spot where this urban park now lies once rose one of the pyramids of the pre-Hispanic city of Zací. After the conquest, the Spanish reused its stones to build the church and several of the large buildings that now surround the square. The present-day park takes its name from the Yucatecan governor Francisco Cantón Rosado, who had the space redesigned at the end of the 19th century. Now look at the fountain in the center of the square: you’ll see the statue of Mestiza. It represents a woman of mixed heritage born from the meeting of Maya and Spanish cultures, dressed in the traditional costume of Yucatán, the terno, richly embroidered with colorful flowers. Among the park’s most distinctive features, you may also have noticed the lovers’ chairs, known as sillas confidentes or sometimes “tú y yo” or “you and me”. Their S-shaped design allows two people to sit face to face and talk while still keeping a certain distance. These seats have become a symbol of parks throughout Yucatán. According to a popular legend, the design was imagined by an overly protective father who had these special chairs created so his daughter could speak with her suitor without allowing them to sit too close together. In reality, the story is a little different. Historically, these chairs appeared in the early 20th century and were inspired by French Renaissance seats designed for intimate conversations. So why not try one while tasting a marquesita? In the evening, this square turns into a small food gathering spot thanks to this very popular street treat. A kind of thin, crispy rolled waffle, filled with cheese and topped with goat’s milk caramel called cajeta, the marquesita was invented by an ice cream vendor named Don Vicente Mena. When he noticed that demand for ice cream dropped during the winter months, he came up with this recipe to keep his business going. And the name? It’s said that the daughters of a wealthy local marquis loved them so much that they helped make the specialty famous. So why not give it a try?