Main Façade of the Cathedral of Durango

Oral Tradition · Cathedral of Durango

Legends

The stories that live within the walls of the Cathedral of Durango: tales of faith, mystery, and collective memory.

Tales of the Cathedral

Stories kept by
the stone walls

Love and Mystery19th Century · 1866

Beatriz, the Nun of the Moon

A young novice from Topia, with fair skin and blue eyes, sheltered a wounded French officer in her home during the French Intervention. They fell secretly in love. Ever since, on nights of the full moon, her silhouette is seen in the bell tower of the left tower.

Read the legend
Beatriz, the Nun of the Moon
The Supernatural18th Century · 1738

The Confessional the Devil Moved

Juan Pérez de Toledo, a man consumed by vice who made a pact with Satan, tried to confess his sins in the Cathedral to free himself from the bargain. The devil would not allow it. The confessional where he died is still preserved in the right nave of the temple.

Read the legend
The Confessional the Devil Moved
History and Faith19th Century · 1857–1863

The Bishop's Cave

Bishop Don José Antonio López de Zubiría, persecuted for refusing to recognize the Reform Laws, took refuge for more than two years in a cave in the Sierra de Cacaria. Legend holds that he hid there a chalice, a monstrance, and a golden crucifix from the Cathedral.

Read the legend
The Bishop's Cave

The oral traditions of the Cathedral Basilica of Durango continue to be collected and documented.