Plaza de la Soledad

The Plaza de la Soledad is the important northern section of the former atrium of the Church of Santa Cruz y la Soledad. It’s mostly known today for the bus terminal that will occupy many of the surrounding streets. Passengers en route to Chiapas (especially) will often use much of the public park for a waiting room. Viajes Aury, the bus company, is adjacent to the northwest corner of this tiny plaza.

You’re also likely to see at least some overland freight being loaded in the area. And that’s only if the commerce that crowds the streets is a bit lighter on the day you visit. The area is famous for continuous and often heavy street commerce.

The Church to the immediate south is well-known for providing food to the area’s poorest residents. But it’s most famous for the Virgin of Solitude. That’s a life-sized figure the church has maintained since the mid-colonial period.

Together with the atrium in front of the old church, the plaza offers a respite from the otherwise crowded area. The church is thought to mark the northern boundary of the Barrio La Merced. Some will note that it also marks the eastern edge of Tepito, to the north of the Historic Center. In fact, the Plaza de la Soledad was for many generations the center of a now-forgotten, ancient neighborhood of Coltzingo or Coltzimoó.