On December 8, 1863, nearly 10,000 candles and kerosene lamps illuminated the interior of the church of La Compania de Jesus, where tragedy struck. The church was adorned with paper garlands, celebrating the day of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, drawing 3,000 parishioners. However, the festivities turned deadly as the building was engulfed in flames, claiming over 2,000 women in less than an hour, creating a tragedy still largely forgotten by history.
Francisca Solar, a journalist and writer, highlights this disaster in her best-selling book, "El buzon de las impuras." She emphasizes the importance of memorializing the event within both national and universal history, comparing it to the Titanic disaster. The tragedy not only represents a significant loss of life but also reflects societal attitudes towards women, particularly those from aristocratic backgrounds, who were present at the ill-fated event.
The so-called 'mailbox of the Virgin' played a critical role in the tragedy's narrative. This metal box, where women deposited their prayers and sins, survived the inferno. It symbolizes the personal and spiritual lives of the victims, whose confessions were ultimately silenced by the flames. The dispute over the mailbox post-tragedy between ecclesiastical and state authorities denotes its importance, yet its contents were never revealed, prompting solar's literary exploration of the women's experiences.
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