Giant chairs are latest attraction in Santa Lucia park
Mérida, Yucatan — Take a picture, it will last longer.
That was the idea of the giant letters spelling out MÉRIDA and PROGRESO, and it’s also the thought behind the giant conjoined chairs in Santa Lucia Park. A perfect prop to pose with.
The tourism department installed them on Thursday, and visitors have been taking the bait ever since.
The 2.4-meter-high fiberglass installation is a large-scale version of the iconic “sillas confidentes” or “tú y yo” (you and me) chairs, found in many city parks throughout Mérida. The replica is coated with a cement-like finish and a weather-resistant matte paint. It cost 78,000 pesos to manufacture and install, according to a city press release.
According to local legend, they were designed by a father who was wary of a budding romance developing between his daughter and a local boy. Confidentes first appeared in the Plaza Grande in 1915, designed for intimate conversation while keeping the two parties at a respectable distance.
Their design possibly dates to the French Renaissance period.
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