PANUCO - AN OLD FART ADVENTURE

By Kent Dewitt

I first discovered the small pueblo of Pánuco while searching for the ruins of the old church of the Virgin Guadalupe. The Iglesia Hacienda de Guadalupe was built during the same period as the church in Copala which was completed about 1775. It is the only church in all of Mexico with a Papal decree forgiving the sins of those who visit. I eventually found these ruins and now have a clean slate. Francisco de Ibarra, Spanish explorer and conquistador, following rumors of rich mineral deposits, crossed the Sierra Madre Mountains from Durango in 1562 to conquer what is now southern Sinaloa. His prospectors eventually discovered silver veins in the new territory, and in 1565, de Ibarra founded the towns of Copala and Pánuco. He died in Pánuco in 1575 and is rumored to be buried within the church there. Today, Pánuco is one of only a few small Spanish colonial villages remaining from the 1500’s and is quaint yet beautiful with its cobblestone streets. It is located about 45 miles east of Mazatlán in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains not far from Copala. The main town is along the Pánuco River, though higher up on a ridge, making for a longer, narrower village than its small population might suggest. The river flows year round through the area and I am sure they learned long ago to not build too close to the water’s edge. I was able to take the picture of the fruit bats in the ruins of an old processing plant along the river. My most recent visit was during the fiesta to celebrate their patron Saint Rosario who is also celebrated in El Rosario, this past October 4, 5 and 6th. Many of the church’s faithful make a pilgrimage on foot coming from as far away as Mazatlán and nearby communities. They have a beautiful church in Pánuco with 3 large bells in a standalone wall along its rear rather than in a spire. I have heard that doors of the church were brought