Las Placas

Anyone who has visited Mérida will have noticed the red and white plaster plaques on many street corners throughout the older parts of the city.  There are many different stories as to how these street markers came to be, and why.  They all agree, however, that each corner got its name from something that happened there, or something that used to be there.  In a few rare cases, the name is based on a building or structure that still exists.  Most of the stories behind the names have been lost, and even the few that remain do not always agree, but I'll get to that later.

Why did the citizens name their street corners when the city was laid out in a pretty easy grid pattern with numbered streets?  The story is that landmarks were easier to use for navigation and directions than those numbered streets.  And so those memorable buildings, or a particularly noteworthy occurrence became enshrined in the city's folklore and culture.

Back to the plaques themselves.  They have been referenced in writings dating as far back as 1794, which means that they were in place prior to that.  Few of these original plaques remain, and most of what we see now are replicas or replacements.  In addition, new names have been created in more recent years, clearly evident in a corner named for a plane dropping a bomb on the city!

I am clearly not the first person to become fascinated by the 'placas'.  A simple Google search will provide many references, from tourist guide books to blogs to lists of all the street corner names but few photos, or a collection of photos with little history.  In 2012, Bruce Edmiston moved here with his family for a year.  Bruce spent several months cycling the more than 650 blocks of El Centro, looking for and photographing placas.  He found over 250 still in place. 

My goal is to find, photograph and learn the history of as many placas as I can.  And of course, while wandering in pursuit of placas, I've been running into some remarkable places.  Please join me on my journey of discovery.