The main church for the Archdiocese of Guadalajara, the cathedral is edged by four plazas that form a cross shape.

This monument has come through all kinds of catastrophes, including no fewer than seven earthquakes. One in 1818 brought down the dome and the towers, which were rebuilt later in the century in a neo-Gothic style.

The remainder of the cathedral dates to the 16th and 17th centuries and has Colonial Renaissance architecture. The stained glass was shipped from France, while in the chancel and various chapels are seven majestic altars, including one to Our Lady of Zapopan, Guadalajara’s patron saint.

She divides her time between the cathedral and a nearby basilica, which we’ll cover later. A creepy curiosity is the preserved mummy of Santa Inocencia, a girl said to have been killed by her father in the 1700s.