Durango - History

Francisco de Ibarra began the colonization of this region. He arrived in 1554 and named this territory Nueva Vizcaya. In 1557, captain Alonso de Pacheco started to build a small town and named it DURANGO, in honour of Francisco de Ibarra's birthplace. In 1621, King Felipe IV granted Durango the category of city, and it was until 1824 when it was granted as state. The State of Durango is enclaved in the Sierra Madre Occidental on the northwest of Mexico. It has a semi-warm and dry climate, but on the high lands it is sub-humid and semi-cold. The state's surface is of 123,181 kms, and it has a mean altitude of 3600 meters above sea level. Its highest peaks reach 3200 meters. Durango has several springs such as Valle del Guadiana, Tres Molinos, Ojo de Agua, Ojo de Agua de San Salvador, and Caρas. Its main cities are Durango City, Gσmez Palacio, and Ciudad Lerdo.

La ciudad de Durango es la capital del estado de Durango. Es una bella ciudad que ademαs de sus modernas construcciones, conserva ese sabor provinciano lleno de las tradiciones de Mexicanas.

Durango City is the capital of the state, and has modern constructions with a province taste of Mexican traditions.

It offers interesting touristic places such as the Cathedral, with its beautiful golden choir chairs and XVIII century paintings (painters: Josι Ibarra and Miguel Cabrera), Teatro Principal (theater), Templo San Juan de los Lagos (church), Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace), and of course the Casa del Conde Sϊchil (Count Suchil's House) with its ultra-baroque and churriguresque Mexican style. We also have intriguingly amazing places such as Las Grutas del Rosario (grottos), and La Zona del Silencio (the silence zone).

In the eighteenth century, the king of Spain conceded Durango its city title and granted its escutcheon, which is a replica of Vizcaya's in Spain, and which originally belonged to Seρor de Lope de Haro.