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Taxco Mexico, Photography Fotografica
Photography by Bill Bell
Taxco de Alarcón (Taxco) is a former colonial silver-mining center in the
northern part of the Mexican state of Guerrer o
on the western arm of the Sierra Madre del Sur. It is located 200 km southwest
of Mexico City along the old highway to Acapulco at an elevation of 1,800 m
(5,900 ft). The city serves as the administrative center of the municipality of
the same name, which covers a total area of 347 km2 (134 sq mi) of the
surrounding territory. With a population of 50,415, Taxco is the fifth-largest
in the state.[2] The municipality has a population of 98,854, which also
includes the cities of Tlamacazapa and Acamixtla.
The city is built on the side of a mountain, with very steep narrow cobblestone
streets lined by whitewashed houses with red-tiled roofs.
History
The whitewashed houses with red-tiled roofs in Taxco.The Aztecs founded a city
they called “Tlacho” meaning the place of the ballgame.
Hernán Cortés mined tin for his artillery in the area of Taxco:
I commenced to inquire everywhere if anywhere there was any (tin), and Our Lord,
Who takes care, and has always taken care, wished to provide with the greatest
speed, so that I came upon by chance amongst the natives province which is known
as Tachco, certain small pieces of it in the manner of a very thin coin, and
proceeding on my inquiry, I found that in the said province, even in others, it
was used as money; on becoming more familiar with the matter, I learned that it
came from the said province of Tachco which is a 26 leagues distances from this
city, and then I learned of the mines and sent tools and Spaniards and they
brought me a sample of it, and at that I gave the order that they extract all
that was necessary, and whatever more may be needed will be extracted, although
with great labor; and even when travelling in search of these metals a vein or
iron in great quantity was found by chance, according to what I am informed by
those who say they know it.
—Cortés, Fourth Letter of Relation, dated in Mexico 15th October 1524, addressed
to Emperor Charles V
Taxco was incorporated in 1532. The books in the Court of Letters, Taxco's
first-known public registry, go back to 15 29.
In 1542 the Mayor, Don Luis de Castilla, was the first Spaniard to make his
fortune from the mines of Taxco.
Two hundred years later, Catalan prospector Joseph de la Borda discovered a rich
silver deposit. Taxco is the world's capital of silver, with over 200 shops and
dozens of renowned silver jewelers. Silver is still the most important aspect of
Taxco's economy.
The parish church of Santa Prisca, a 250-year-old baroque-style church, is found
in Taxco.
Taxco was named a "Pueblo Mágico" in 2002.
click on photograph to view in larger format
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