Giant chairs are latest attraction in Santa Lucia park

A giant-size pair of “sillas confidentes” looms over the real thing in Parque Santa Lucia. Photo: Ron Allanach

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. 

Large-scale chairs invite tourists to take a picture in Mérida’s Santa Lucia Park. Photo: City of Mérida

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.

Today, Mérida’s iconic double chairs are found throughout the city.
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