Guadalajara – The Cathedral

The cathedral of Guadalajara is hard to miss. It’s the centre piece of the downtown area and appears on just about anything that has anything to do with Guadalajara. Sure, it’s big and shiny, but what’s it like up close?


As with most old buildings, this one has fallen over a few times and rebuilt. As each bit collapsed and was rebuilt, the style of the day was used to repair and replace the destroyed parts. As a result, the cathedral is a bit of a mish-mash of styles.

The most prominent feature, is the two large twin spires rising at the front of the building. They’re a lovely yellow colour and dominate the surrounding area. There’s also two domes. One red, the other yellow. The surrounding stone work is also a mix of colours as well. Having said that, it’s all a bit academic. The building is still very grand and is a great symbol for the city.

Inside, things are a little less grandiose. Most European cathedrals have had centuries to accrete layers of gold, decorations, add ons etc. etc. This one is a simpler design. Everything is a harmonious white and gold design. There’s also a lot of windows, which makes the inside rather bright. That’s probably a good thing though. Some European cathedrals are just dingy!


Along each wall, are a series of chapels dedicated to various saints. There’s also a lot of fancy altars, all donated by King Fernando VII of Spain. They’re rather fancy and all are encased in glass. It’s almost like the priests expect the statues to climb down and start walking about.

The most striking part of the cathedral, however, is the mummified hand and blood of Santa Inocencia. It’s a bit gory. There’s one mummified hand sticking out from a dummy dressed in a fluffy white dress. Talk about weird! The locals seem to love it though and touched the glass closest to the hand for a blessing.


On a hot day, the cathedral is a great retreat from the weather. There’s also several services held every day if you’re craving a bit of religion. While the cathedral may not be as memorial as Notre Dame in Paris, or Westminster Abbey in London, it’s still a grand old building and a fitting symbol for the city.