Battle against the empire.

The battle of the 5th of May 1862 was all against the Mexican army. The numbers were not in favor; months ago, the high class of Mexico favored the French army’s invasion; it would solve some of their problems. But nothing was settled until this battle.

When the French military invaded parts of the state of Puebla, they experienced resistance. The local people of Puebla were summoned by president Benito Juárez when they knew that the French army was going to invade. Some of them help the Mexican army but just the indigenous people.

They defended the country against those that wanted to impose an empire even if it cost their lives.

When the French army battled the Mexican military on the land of Loreto and Guadalupe forts, they felt they could win.

But they knew nothing about the tunnels connecting the city with the forts and the force of the Mexican people to defend their country.

How did they win?

There were different factors for the victory of the Mexican against the French army.

One, they overestimated the resistance of the Mexican military.

Two, the advantage of the land where the forts were was that day it rained, and it made it impossible to keep up with the conquer of the fort; the dirt made it harder for the French army to move.

Three, the unity of the Mexican army with local resistance from the northern highlands of Puebla, like Xochiapulco, Tetela, Zacapoaxtla, Cuetzalan, Xochitlán, Nauzontla, and others. The battalion called Zacapoaxtlas because all these people came from the same region but had a delimited area. They came to aid and defend the country.

The firepower concentrated the fire on the forts and divided the forces because the other half of the French army was to defend the other side of Puebla.

There could be more factors, but I am only mentioning these.

The French army returned later with more men and with more equipment conquering the city the following year, but that is not why Mexicans celebrate the 5th of May.

It is because how was possible that in those years, a better-prepared army could have been defeated by an army that only had civil confrontations and had many limitations, unlike the French army. A victory that shakes the world on those days

During the battle of the 5th of May of 1862 French army could see that “Mexicans sprouted from earth, and they didn’t know where come from.” A reference to tunnels (this text is shown on the wall of the tunnel entrance and other fragments).

 

Tunnels.

The tunnels connect the city and the fort, iconic places used to be bound by the tunnels. So far, what archeologist have discovered are 8.5km; there are more tunnels, and more connections, but also owners of those houses do not allow this to happen.

Permissions that archeologists need to have are not easy to get.

Legends of tunnels of Puebla.

There were rumors that there were tunnels in the city of Puebla that connected the capital with many essential places, but these were just rumors for many years. No one could prove the existence of the tunnels.

One day trying to rebuild a house in 2014, they discovered one of the entrances to the tunnels. This discovery near the home found crossbows and instruments from different times.

Stories started to emerge; horses and wagons could travel these tunnels, referring that they were part of the battle of Puebla.

These tunnels were a secret, with no maps or information related to the construction archeologist found different types of constructions and arch’s from the XVI, XVII, and XVIII centuries.

Some believe that some structures are natural; all these formations could be created by the sulfurous waters surrounding the city of Puebla. Some arch construction and elaboration are notorious, and the architectonic styles are present.

Part of the construction was after the city’s foundation in 1531; they connected essential houses of the town’s foundation with some connection with churches, also because they could transport valuable things.

The first entrance is now in the neighborhood of Xanenetla. The tour is 4 km from that entrance to the fort of Guadalupe.

Other tunnels.

The Bridge of Bubas, the name is from the treatment of syphilis.

A bridge is now covered by one of the main avenues of Puebla, and you can visit both bridge and tunnel with the same ticket; it is affordable at only 27 pesos, it is 1.25 dollars or 20 pesos for just one visit 1 dollar.

When visiting this place, you will find that the advantage that the land can be a critical point in defense of the land.  Walk to learn more about the region’s story that changes how Mexicans celebrate the 5th of May.

After so many years, this was no anymore a legend, and as Mexican and the people could visit and be part of the place that we love to celebrate and make us feel proud, these tunnels are not just legends. They are our history.