User:Jerezano

Another Legend about the Zacatecas Cathedral

Translated by jerezano March 5, 2011 from an article by the Zacatecas Historian and published in the “Sol de Zacatecas” on March 3, 2011 on page 4A with the title Catedral de Zacatecas: otra leyenda sobre su fachada principal.

"¡Oh, qué gran artista es el Sol!

No pude menos que exclamar al ver convertida

En una gigantesca pieza de oferbrería

La catedral de Zacatecas,

Iluminada por las postreres luces crepusculares".

Alfonso Toro[Footnote 1]

"In a previous article I shared with you the popular version about the construction of the principal façade of our unique and beautiful cathedral of Zacatecas, Nevertheless I want you all to join me in reading an excerpt from an excellent history by the notable but now forgotten historian Alfonso Toro. Alfonso Toro rescues and recounts another version of the construction of that façade.

"The historian and reporter Alfonso Toro was born in Zacatecas City in 1873. He studied law in the Institute of Sciences here and in this city received his lawyer's license in 1898 as one of the best taking the examination. He was a first circuit judge in various legal districts of the state. In 1932 he was placed in charge of the general archives of the Mexican Supreme Court and before that of the National Museum. He studied history and wrote several books among which is the Compendio de historia de México (from the discovery of America to the end of the 19th century)(1926), Importancia del estudio de la historia y métodos de investigación histórica (1927), La cántiga de las piedras (re-edited in 1961). He died in 1952.

"In the Archives of Zacatecas we acquired the books mentioned in the previous paragraph and as part of that acquisition La cántiga  de las piedras which contains excellent descriptions of buildings, legends and traditions of México including, of course, Zacatecas. In this work he includes the Convent of San Francisco and the Cathedral of Zacatecas as well as the temples of Sombrerete, "In the preface he says: 'It's forecast that this book will not generate much interest in literary circles or from historians, from the first because it lacks beauty and from the latter because it adds nothing new to what is already known, and for containing legends and traditions recovered from people's mouths and that have no foundation of fact so that the book was not written for historians but for the common people and … [because] I have obtained popular sayings [for the reason] that jewelers when their vision suffers from their intricate work on some precious jewel abandon their work and gaze at a beautiful emerald to enjoy its green beauty and provide a rest.'[Footnote 2] "And in appreciation of the legends which form part of the intangible patrimony of México—let's listen to the voice of Alfonso Toro, who with his peculiar narrative style gives us a different version of the one we already know about the construction of the principal façade of the Zacatecas Cathedral. "The American author Mrs. John Wesley Butler, in her book Historic Churches in Mexico tells us that the artist who designed the façade was French. This individual, condemned to death for some grave problem was able to get the execution postponed until he finished his work on the Cathedral. He was able to continue the work for twenty-one years, being watched constantly by custodians and sentries while he worked. Finally bored with such a life, he declared one day that he was ready to be executed. But because of his beautiful work on the Cathedral facade he was not executed but received a pardon. The neighborhood showered him with gifts and banquets in his honor. Yet he was not content and desired to return to France. Unfortunately when all was ready for his departure he suddenly died".[Footnote 3]

"Toro adds: 'We do not know where the North American author got this legend, since we cannot find any foundation for it in spite of the fact that we were born and have lived in Zacataces for many years, we have never heard such a legend before. Nevertheless, the legend is beautiful and could possibly explain the profuse ornamentation of the principal façade of the Zacatecas Cathedral which is uniquely different from the majority of examples of the Churriguersco style which exist in other parts of the country. For that we tell the legend as we have found it in the reference[d] book, adding, 'Si non e vero e ben trovato'".[Footnotes 4 and 5] ©jerezano 2011

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Footnote 1:Toro, Alfonso La cántiga de las piedras, México, Editorial Pátria, (1961)(segunda edición,), p. 115[Oh, what a great artist is the sun!/ Í cannot help but exclaim on seeing changed/ Into a gigantic piece of jewelry/The Cathedral of Zacatecas/ Bathed in the late light of early evening.]

Footnote2:Ibid., s.p.

Footnote 3:Ibid., p 121-122.

Footnotes 4:Ibid., p 122.

Footnote 5:[If not true a good story.]