Durango City

Durango - Other Cities and Attractions

capital of Durango state, N central Mexico, along the highway linking Mexico City with El Paso. Minerals are the chief product, but the city is also an agricultural, commercial, and tourist center. Founded as a mining town in 1563, Durango served as capital of the region of Nueva Viscaya in the 19th century.

The city suffered frequent scorpion plagues. Durango's cathedral is a massive example of early 18th-century architecture.

Durango City Attractions

Cathedral in Durango

Visit the Baroque style Cathedral built in the XVIII century, a true architectural jewel. This cathedral was, built with 16 th -century baroque elements, has majestic towers.

Inside you'll see Byzantine-style ornamentation, which was added in the 20 th century. Among some of the more notable features are the colonial-style paintings and sculptures, a stone staircase with gorgeous ironwork and the choir stalls.

House of the Súchil Count

It is the most beautiful colonial building with a civilian use in all Durango, and most probably, in all the northern territories of Mexico. Constructed during the second half of the 18th century, its façade shows quarry stone pilasters, toppled by two big pinnacles on its upper cornice, while in its inner part it contains many rococo styled adornments in high relief, a clear expression of the wealth of the owner and of the economic prosperity of the State.

Among its many delightful architectonical details, detaches the usage of reversed pyramids in plaster (estípites) in the second level and the pilasters that frame the doors of the first floor. From an artistic point of view, stands out a quarry stone image of Saint Joseph with the Child in his arms, the patron saint of the original owner of the house, the Count of the Súchil Valley.

Guadalupe Sanctuary

This is a religious construction that was completed in 1722. The façade is in an austere, very sober Baroque style and contrastingly, the inside has a marked neoclassical style, with some of the ornamentation in the neo Gothic style, especially the side windows and the altar.

The Sahuatoba Park

This place was inaugurated in 1977 as a complement to the other park. With children's playgrounds, a small zoo, an artificial lake, and extensive green areas, this park is ideal for walks, picnics, or simply contemplating nature.