The Relationship between Bac and Caborca

The Mission churches of San Xavier del Bac and La Purisima Concepcion de Nuestra Senora de Caborca have been called sister churches as they share many of the same architectural features and may even have been built by the same master builder and based on the same floor plan. However, in the 20 years that separate the building of Bac and Caborca (Bac between 1783-1797, Caborca between 1803-1809) dramatic changes in aesthetic preferences manifested themselves primarily in the interior spaces. 

While Bac displays the Ultra Baroque style seen throughout Mexico in the 18th century, Caborca is designed in a much simpler and more streamlined manner of the neoclassic style associated with the growing popularity of academic and neoclassicism. What were the reasons the church interior design changed so dramatically over this short period of time and how do these changes in ideas physically manifest themselves in both churches.

This site will examine the change in style from Baroque to Neo-Classical on the frontier of New Spain, as exhibited in the decorative elements present on the main altar of each church. In the Stylistic Analysis sectioin, how and why these formal changes occurred will be examined. This will be followed by an discussion of how attitudes regarding the Neo-classical altar in Caborca reversed themselves over time and how the altar here was covered with temporary and semi-permanent additions to change its neoclassical appearance back to Baroque. Finally, a study of each mission’s history, damage, preservation and restoration will be examined to see how these factors have affected the appearances of the Church interiors today.