Guadalajara Sights

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1. Catedral de Guadalajara

Begun in 1561 and consecrated in 1618, this downtown focal point is an intriguing mélange of baroque, Gothic, and other styles. Its emblematic twin towers replaced the originals, felled by the earthquake of 1818. Ten of the silver-and-gold altars were gifts from King Fernando VII in thanks for Guadalajara's financial support of Spain during the Napoleonic Wars. Some of the world's most magnificent retablos (altarpieces) adorn the walls; above the sacristy (often closed to the public) is Bartolomé Esteban Murillo's priceless 17th-century painting The Assumption of the Virgin. In a loft above the main entrance is a magnificent 19th-century French organ.