Catedral de Durango · Siglo XVIII

Chapel & Space

SACRISTY

of the Cathedral Basilica of Durango

New Spanish art and liturgy in dialogue

✦ Catedral Basílica de Durango ✦

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Chapel & Space

SACRISTYof the Cathedral Basilica of Durango

New Spanish art and liturgy in dialogue

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History and Style

A Fascinating Duality

Minor Sacristy and Major Sacristy

The Cathedral has a particular configuration in having two sacristies. The Minor Sacristy, historically intended for the vesting of the presbyter, safeguards a profound symbolic charge through its statuary. In this space, still in 1822, there were two images of Christ of great significance: the Lord of Ocotán and the Lord of Mezquital. The latter piece connects the building with the most turbulent episodes of the 17th century; its mention in the Tepehuan Revolt of 1616 makes it a reminder of the processes of evangelization and resistance in northern Mexico.

The passage toward the Major Sacristy, or Sacristy of the Prebendaries, begins in the ante-sacristy, where the faithful and visitor are received by the gaze of the Virgin of Guadalupe. This canvas, signed by the celebrated José de Ibarra, sets the tone of pictorial excellence that defines the ensemble.

The Quarry Stone Doorway and the 1740 Chest

The main access to the Major Sacristy is, in itself, a masterpiece of stone architecture. The quarry stone frame, the work of stonecutter Luis Calia y Chinanca, is characterized by its fluted pilasters, an elegant cornice, and a frieze decorated with indigenous forms: a perfect synthesis of European technique and local aesthetic sensibility.

Upon crossing this threshold, the hall is revealed, framed by a superb carved wooden chest, made in 1740 by master carpenters Lucas Nores and Juan Antonio Carreño. This cabinetmaking piece not only fulfills a practical function, but also imparts a visual unity and atmosphere of solemnity to the space, practically unchanged since 1822.

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

Historical research: Historian José Alonso Martínez Barrios

Sacred Architecture

The Vaults by José Remigio Puelles

The artistic discourse of the sacristy culminates upon raising the gaze to the tempera-painted vaults, attributed to master illuminator José Remigio Puelles. The iconographic program unfolds in two bays forming one of the most ambitious mural painting ensembles in the cathedral.

The First Vault presents a complex allegory of the evangelizing orders that arrived in New Spain. Saints, martyrs, and virgins orbit around the Trinity — God the Father and the Holy Spirit — while at the center stands out the Lamb of God upon the book of the seven seals, a direct reference to the Apocalypse of Saint John.

The Second Vault centers on the figure of the Holy Spirit, represented in his glory and surrounded by the different hierarchies of angels in an attitude of perpetual praise.

Relics

First-Rate New Spanish Painting

The walls of the Major Sacristy house a painting collection of the first order. The permanence of elements such as the great crucifix with a loincloth, the dressing mirrors with cornucopia frames, and the canvases of great masters allow for an authentic immersion in the ritual of vesting of the bishop and canons, as it has been practiced for centuries.

Juan Correa · Life of Christ I

Juan Correa · Life of Christ II

Juan Correa · Life of Christ III

Juan Correa · Life of Christ IV

José de Ibarra · Virgin of Guadalupe

José de Ibarra · Saint George

J. R. Puelles · First Vault

J. R. Puelles · Second Vault