The town of Durango was founded on July 8, 1563, by the Basque captain Francisco de Ibarra. It became an important administrative center and the seat of government for the Kingdom of Nueva Vizcaya and the bishopric during the colonial period.
Its layout followed the planning of other viceregal cities, being octagonal or in a checkerboard pattern, and adhered to the alignment of irrigation channels that supplied water to both the Spanish settlement and the Mexican Indian and Tonalteco village of San Juan Bautista de Analco.
After the discovery of the mines in Parral in 1631, Durango was granted city status. A College-Seminary and a Royal Treasury were established where the silver produced by the mines in this region was taxed. This, combined with intensive agricultural activity, contributed to a period of great prosperity for the city, which had a significant impact on its architectural production. Notably, Jesuit educational centers housed important cultural objects such as books, paintings, sculptures, and more. This not only influenced the formation of the identity of northern New Spain but also made Durango a prominent settlement along the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.
During the second half of the 18th century, the residents of the city built luxurious residences, among which stands out that of José del Campo, a miner from Avino, who was granted the title of Count of Valle de Súchil. During those years, within the jurisdiction of Durango, there were ten haciendas, thirty-seven ranches, two congregations, and three indigenous villages. One of these haciendas was San Diego de Navacoyán, notable for its dam that irrigated numerous lands.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was the most important religious building in Durango and in the northern part of the country, serving as a model for the construction of other churches in the diocese. Among the most significant artistic objects inside is the choir stalls, one of the few remaining examples of its kind in the country. The sculpture of the Immaculate Conception, crafted around 1783 in the city of Nueva Guatemala by master Juan de España, is also notable. Additionally, there is a series depicting the life of Christ signed by the prominent New Spanish painter Juan Correa in 1686, located in the sacristy.
Other viceregal temples that are preserved in Durango include the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies, built in 1724 on a hill to the west of the city; the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe, constructed north of the city between 1657 and 1713; the Hospital of Saints Cosmas and Damian and the Church of San Juan de Dios, managed by the Juaninos religious order.
Unlike other places, Durango's economy remained stable during the challenging period after Independence. This was largely due to the arrival of the railway in 1892, which transformed the region into an exporter of raw materials, particularly iron and wood, to the country's main industrial centers, in addition to its role as an administrative center.
