The Cathedral located right in the heart of this City. The building as a whole is nothing short of majestic. Its architectural design and ornamental details are unique, and of undeniable quality. Just take a look at its fourteen European sculptures, for example.
The Cathedral takes-up an entire block, surrounded by Benito Juárez, Guillermo Nelson, José María Canizales and 21 de Marzo Streets, right in the heart of downtown, only a block away from the Pino Suárez open market and across the street from the public square called Plazuela República, where our City Hall is located.
Its construction began in 1875 and ended in 1899. The church was consecrated in 1937, in honor of the Immaculate Conception. It´s considered the most beautiful Cathedral in Mexico´s Northwest. It´s atrium, enclosed by a strong, forged wrought-iron perimeter fence, lends grandeur to the building, and sets the stage for three monuments, two of Christ as King and a third one depicting the recently-canonized Saint Juan Diego, as he shows Bishop Fray Juan de Zumárraga his peasant poncho with the miraculous apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe stamped on it.
Architecturally, it has a marked Gothic influence, with two thin towers rising on its exterior; three naves adorned by enormous altars, with a completely Baroque influence with exuberant details, making it a true mosaic of styles. We can´t miss admiring its huge central chandelier and its antique hanging light fixtures along the lateral hallways, fully adorned with fine French cut-glass, installed in 1950. However, the Cathedral´s jewel is its extraordinary organ, built in Paris by Aristide Cavaillé - Coll (1811-1899). Legend has it, that it was played for the first time on May 17, 1899, to the delight of Mazatlán´s churchgoers.