THECHOIRStalls · 18th Century

Masterpiece of New Spanish cabinetmaking

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History and Style

Wood, Gold, and Sacred Silence

Francisco Peláez · 1735–1740

The choir stalls of the Cathedral Basilica of Durango were executed between 1735 and 1740 in Mexico City by master cabinetmaker Francisco Peláez, with the involvement of Lucas and Francisco Nores. In walnut wood — valued for its resistance and nobility — they were meticulously carved and painted black, giving the ensemble a compositional order characteristic of full baroque.

The structure is a testament to ecclesiastical hierarchy rendered in wood: 35 high stalls for the bishop and members of the chapter, and 22 low stalls for the remaining choral ministers. At the center were two music stands and a lectern, fundamental supports for the choir books and scores that guided the sung liturgy.

The Transfer by Bishop Tristán

In its origin, the stalls did not occupy the chancel where they are found today. In the 18th century the choir stalls were located in front of the pyramid, sharing prominence with the Altar of Souls situated just behind them. This arrangement created a visual and processional axis connecting the center of the temple with the choir.

It was during the episcopate of Bishop Esteban Lorenzo de Tristán that the transfer of the stalls took place, a movement that transformed the physiognomy of the space and also displaced the Altar of the Kings — an old gilded altarpiece with seven paintings relating to the birth of Jesus — that preceded the current location.

Curatorial text: Museum of the Cathedral Basilica of Durango · Archdiocese of Durango

Historical research: Historian José Alonso Martínez Barrios

Sacred Cabinetmaking

The Stalls of Heaven

The twelve front stalls of the upper rows, reserved for the principal figures of the chapter, sported crimson velvet seats adorned with fine silver braid and decorative tacks. The symbolic red of the velvet evoked the blood of the martyrs; the silver accentuated the sacred character of the space.

Before the stalls, two music stands and a lectern held the large choir books with the scores for liturgical chants. The environment was completed by a three-gallery shelf, painted in gold and crimson, serving as a pedestal for the image of the Immaculate Conception. On her flanks, the archangels Michael and Gabriel guarded her, bearing pennants and silver shields, reaffirming the Marian dogma and celestial protection over the chapter and the diocese.

Iconographic Program

The Saints of the Chapter

Each backrest of the upper stalls is crowned by a sculpture in relief or half-carving, gilded, representing a complex iconographic program: apostles, evangelists, founders of orders, and saints of the universal Church. This display of saints surrounded the dignitaries during their prayers, reminding them of the continuity of the Church and the exemplary lives of their predecessors.

Gallery

THE CHOIR — Catedral Basílica de Durango