Mexico City’s Historic Center not only stands out for its incredible museums and impressive ancient sites, but also for the mysterious stories it holds. Such is the case of the legend of Don Juan Manuel. Do you already know it?
Taking advantage that we are in the middle of the Day of the Dead season, we bring you this spooky legend, which takes place a few blocks from the Zócalo of the CDMX.
Discover the legend of Don Juan Manuel
It is said that in colonial times, a man named Juan Manuel lived at what is now number 20 República de Uruguay Street. He was married; however, he did not trust his wife and was sure she was unfaithful.
He searched tirelessly for proof but, finding nothing, he decided to make a deal with the devil. He was totally willing to find out who his wife’s supposed lover was.
The said being accepted the deal. He told her that, in order to discover the identity of the supposed lover, she had to go out on the street at 11:00 p.m. sharp. The legend has several versions. Some say that the devil told him that he had to ask the time to the first person he met outside his house; the one who answered him would be the man with whom his wife was cheating on him.
Other versions indicate that Don Juan Manuel killed a man outside his house every day until that being told him who the man he was looking for was.
Thus, every night, Don Juan Manuel would go out at the appointed time and ask the time to his next victim, only to conclude with the following phrase: “blessed is he who knows the hour of his death”.
After several nights like this, Don Juan Manuel, repentant, ran to confess and fulfill the penance dictated by a priest; however, a few days later he appeared on the gallows.
Although this is just a legend of the Historic Center, the truth is that on the street of República de Uruguay there is a plaque that indicates the place where a man named Don Juan Manuel De Sotomayor, known as Solórzano, lived.
Because yes, the man did exist. However, the story we are telling you is only a legend. According to information from El Financiero, Don Juan Manuel was a wealthy man who was arrested for alleged corruption. He eventually escaped from prison. It is said that, upon his release, he took the life of the man who sent him to jail.
Remember that this is a legend. If these horror stories are your thing, here are the versions that surround the legend of La Llorona.