Catedral Metropolitana de Chihuahua

The Catedral Metropolitana de Chihuahua, dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi, anchors the Plaza de Armas in the heart of Chihuahua City's Centro Historico and stands as the largest and most significant Baroque religious building in the state. Construction began in 1725 under Jesuit oversight and continued, with interruptions tied to the 1767 Jesuit expulsion from New Spain and periodic funding shortfalls, until the cathedral's substantial completion in 1826, giving the building a construction span of roughly a century that blends late Baroque and neoclassical elements on its facade. Funding came largely from a tax on the region's silver mining output, tying the building directly to the colonial wealth extracted from Chihuahua's mines during the 18th century. The facade features elaborately carved sandstone Baroque ornamentation and niches holding statues of the twelve apostles, while twin bell towers frame the entrance. Inside, the cathedral preserves a mix of colonial-era religious art and later additions, including an altar and crypt area; the remains of Miguel Hidalgo, held briefly in the cathedral crypt after his 1811 execution before later reburial in Mexico City, are commemorated with a plaque referencing this history. The interior layout follows a traditional Latin cross plan typical of Mexican colonial cathedrals, and the building has undergone periodic restoration to its stonework and towers, most visibly in efforts to stabilize the sandstone facade against erosion from Chihuahua's dry, wind-exposed climate.