Zacatecas Cathedral: Mexico’s Baroque Masterpiece

Larger than life: Art that inspires us through the ages

The church glows with its pink-colored cantera stone, a volcanic rock from various regions in Mexico and Central America. According to locals, the façade’s color changes during the day. One of the two towers further from the white dome supports a bell made from the jewels and coins of Zacatecan followers. Svetlana Bykova/Shutterstock

The Zacatecas Cathedral, located in Zacatecas in the north-central Mexican state of the same name, is a masterpiece of Spanish Baroque architecture.

In the 18th century, this historic town prospered because of its rich deposits of silver. To celebrate their good fortune, miners built the Catedral Basílica de Zacatecas between 1729 and 1760, replacing two existing structures. Also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption of Zacatecas, the Catholic church was only fully completed and consecrated in 1841.