The tallest building in Alamos, Sonora is its centuries-old temple, La Parroquía de Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepcíon. This beautiful church’s external facade of adobe and burnt adobe, with its domed arches and buttresses, is a lovely symbol of the history and religious life of this magical pueblo in Southern Sonora, Mexico.
It is an iconic symbol of this magic pueblo, a photogenic edifice among photogenic streets, buildings and people.
The construction of this impressive religious structure began in the late 1700’s, and it was completed in 1826. As a place of worship in a region where silver mining boomed, many of the church’s original features, from the railing on its altar to lamps and candalabra, were made from silver, which was seized and melted down by the Mexican army in the 1860’s. The temple may also have had paintings, inlaid jewels, gold gilding and other treasures that were lost to looting during times of conflict.
The parish church is rumored to have had a series of tunnel passages that led to nearby mansions, convenient means of ingress and egress for wealthy citizens of Alamos. Subterranean access routes to the temple were sealed in the 1950’s.
And in addition to its fascinating history, this Alamos parish church remains an important part of the town’s religious and cultural traditions.
