Colonia del Sacramento Uruguay Calle de los Suspiros - De los Suspiros´s street
Este hermoso rancho portugués es una galeria de arte, visite su sitio aqui
This is a beautiful ranch Portuguese art gallery, visit its website here
Esta pequeña calle es una peatonal angosta, desnivelada, sin veredas y pavimentada con piedras de cuña. Cientos de años atrás, los marinos la transitaban tras desembarcar en busca de diversión luego de un largo viaje. Muchas horas de mar y de inmenso río debían ser cambiadas por entretenimiento en tierra firme. Y esto, ya sea para los portugueses o los españoles, Colonia siempre lo tuvo.
Antiguamente, esta pintoresca calle era llamada Ansina. Las leyendas se tejen sobre su nombre actual: ¿por qué Calle de los Suspiros? Hay varias historias. Una de ellas sostiene que los condenados a muerte eran llevados hasta la calle de los “suspiros” para ahogarlos cuando subiera la marea. Otra historia postula que esta calle solía albergar numerosos prostíbulos, refugios de marineros cansados y deseosos de diversión, y que al transitarla los soldados piropeaban a las prostitutas y suspiraban una y otra vez por ellas. La última historia, y tal vez la más romántica, cuenta que una noche maravillosa de luna, una joven enamorada estaba esperando a su amado. De repente, un enmascarado le clavó una daga en el medio del pecho. Sólo se escuchó un desalentado suspiro de adiós…
Quizá surjan nuevas historias, será cuestión de ir en busca de ellas. La Calle de los Suspiros aún hoy conserva su magia que nos transporta en el tiempo para seguir soñando. Solo hay que llegar hasta ella.
At Colonia del Sacramento (Uruguay), visitors may find themselves at Calle de los Suspiros (Street of Sighs), a place perspiring magic, history, secrets and legends.
This small street is a narrow pedestrian way. It features steps here and there, no sidewalks and it is paved with wedge stones. Hundreds of years ago, sailors would walk down this street after landing on the area in search for some fun after a long voyage. Long hours at sea and a huge river should be changed for entertainment on solid ground. And that could always be found, both by the Portuguese and the Spaniards, in Colonia.
In the old days, this quaint street used to be called Ansina. Several legends have been woven around its present name: Why is it called the Street of Sighs? There are several answers. One of them asserts that those who were condemned to death were led along the street of “sighs” to be drowned when the tide rose. Another story suggests that this street used to lodge countless brothels, the shelter of tired sailors eager for fun, and that the soldiers who walked along it would pay compliments to the prostitutes and sigh for them once and again. The last story, and maybe the most romantic one, goes that one marvelous moonlit night, a young maiden was waiting for her love. Suddenly, a masked man stabbed her with a dagger in her chest. A disappointed farewell sigh was all that was heard…
New stories may arise. It will be a matter of going in search for them. The Street of Sighs still preserves its magic, which takes us on a journey back in time to keep on dreaming. One only needs to get to this place.
Happy Pink Saturday and thank you Beverly from How Sweet the Sound for hosting this fun day for us all.For more PINK Saturday posts, please go visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound!
