The most precious jewel of the people of Rosario is the Temple consecrated to the Virgin of the Rosary and to Santo Domingo. It was built in what used to be the center of the ancient mining town of El Rosario in 1758 with pink quarry.
It features an exterior altarpiece carved in Salomonic baroque style, adorned with double-headed eagles, the floreated Cross of St. Dominic, among other elements.
A very Marian altarpiece
It depicts in images the family of Mary: in the central niche, her sculpture, flanked by Saint Joseph (husband) and Saint Dominic, above them, in medallions, Saint Elizabeth (cousin) and Saint John the Baptist (nephew). On the second level, a beautiful wooden sculpture of Christ (Son) flanked by Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, parents of the Virgin.
This beauty is overshadowed by the admiration of its interior altarpiece bathed in 23 and 24-carat gold with 4 columns where Churrigueresque, Greco-Roman, and Baroque-stipite styles harmoniously blend.
A relief of angel faces stands out, marking the division between earth and heaven, reaching the third level with Archangel Saint Michael in the center and Saint Peter and Saint Paul on either side. At the top, the image of God the Father with the world in his hands.
6 medallions stand out at the level of the Seat, presenting doctors of the church.
In the central part of the altar, there is a dove representing the Holy Spirit, thus we have in our sight the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The same Temple in different centuries 18th and 20th centuries.
It is relevant that this description is the same for the temple consecrated in 1758 and the one consecrated in 1961 because the latter is a replica of the former, which began to deteriorate when a gold vein passed beneath its foundations. The parish priest, Diódoro Otero, urged the population to move the exterior quarry, numbering stone by stone, to the new site donated by the owners of the Tajo Mines.
The interior altarpiece and the altar were also moved.
“Faith moves mountains and in El Rosario, temples”
Diocesan Marian Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary, a title granted by the Most Excellent Bishop Mario Espinosa Contreras in April 2016 due to the large influx of pilgrims who come to venerate the Blessed Virgin throughout the year, mainly on the first Sunday of October, where there are records of having gathered more than 40,000 faithful on its feast day.
Museum of Sacred Art
The Sanctuary can be considered a museum for housing the ancient sculptures of the altarpiece and those along its walls, the Stations of the Cross paintings (1900-1910) by Milanese artist Luigi Morgani, the oil painting of the Holy Family 18th century, and the canvas of the Filipino Christ 17th century from that Asian country.
We hope that these images disseminated by SINALOA 360 serve as an invitation to visit us and become part of our history.
May the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary always protect you and may God shower you with blessings.
Text: Lic. Yolanda Guadalupe Valdez Solano
Photo Gallery
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Our photos have “Creative Commons“ license. This license allows you to use our photos, without needing permission, legally. When using the photos, the only requirement is that you provide credit as follows:
“Photography: Miguel Angel Victoria / Sinaloa 360”
English translation made by Andrei Mendoza Acosta, student at PrepaTec Campus Sinaloa. Tecnológico de Monterrey.
