Taxco, town (1990 pop. 43,836), Guerrero state, S Mexico. Founded in 1529 as a silver-mining community, Taxco was also an important stop between Mexico City and Acapulco in Spanish colonial trade with the Philippines. It achieved real prominence as a mining center under José de la Borda, who after 1717 constructed roads and built the superb colonial church. Clinging to the side of a mountain, Taxco is a splendid example of the Spanish colonial town, with steep, cobbled streets, overhanging grilled balconies, red-tile roofs, and glazed tiles set in white or pastel adobe walls. Modern buildings are prohibited, and colonial monuments are protected by the Mexican government. A famous center of silver smithing, Taxco attracts artists, writers, and tourists. The full name of the city is Taxco de Alarcón.

in full Taxco de Alarcón

Town (pop., 2000: 50,488), Guerrero state, south-central Mexico. A silver-mining site in pre-Columbian times, it became one of the first mining centres to be inhabited by Spaniards. It prospered in the colonial period and is still renowned for its silver. Because of its colonial character, with its cobblestone streets and the baroque Church of Santa Prisca, it has been declared a national landmark.

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Taxco de Alarcón (Taxco) is a former colonial silver-mining center in the northern part of the Mexican state of Guerrero 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 . 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. 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 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:

Taxco was incorporated in 1532. The books in the Court of Letters, Taxco's first-known public registry, go back to 1529. 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, French 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.

References

External links

• Ayuntamiento de Taxco de Alarcón Official website