History Of Taxco, Mexico
The history of silver in Taxco is a fascinating combination of legend and fact. Located in
the hills between Acapulco and about 100 miles Southwest of Mexico City, Taxco in the
state of Guerrero is one of
the oldest
mining sites located in the Americas. It has retained its natural charm with its colonial
ambiance, red-tiled roofs, cobblestoned, narrow winding streets and the towering,
impressive 240 year old Santa Prisca Catheral. It's natural wealth of silver attracted
early Conquistadors.
Before the Spanish arrived the native Indians called it Tlacho meaning the place of the
ballgame. According to local legend the Aztecs had the locals pay tribute to them with
gold bars. Hernan Cortes arrived and the Spanish conquered the Aztecs in 1521.
A year afterwards Cortes staked his mining claim in Taxco. By the end of the
century, silver from Taxco had spread across Europe, and remote Taxco was reknowed for its
wealth of silver. It had become Spain's primary source in the New World of precious metals
and had become a busy mining area. Mining gradually decreased in the Taxco area as
other richer and more accessible mining areas were discovered and developed, and
eventually faded out for almost 200 years.
In
1716 Don Jose de la Borda (a Spaniard of French descent) rediscovered silver
in Taxco, when as legend has it, he was riding and wandering in the hills of Taxco
and he spotted a rich silver vein. He struck a fortune in Taxco and in gratitude built
among other things (schools, roads, houses) the beautiful and now famous Santa Prisca
Catherdral, an ornate catherdral with lots of gold trim in the Spanish Baroque style (Don
Jose's son served as a priest in this church). The church can be seen from all over Taxco,
glitters in the sunlight and has become a focal point for the pueblo. Don Jose is still
considered the "father" of Taxco, although he eventually left the area when he
became over-extended, and left his mines unworked.
Thereafter more than a dozen other beautiful churches were built in this small town from
other successful miners.
Between the 1600's and the 1800's Boliva, Peru and Mexico grew to produce about 85% of the worlds silver production.
During Mexico's 19th century war for Independence the Spanish barons destroyed their mines rather than lose them to the revolutionaries, and the art of silver work died out in Taxco for quite some time.
Each November, during the last week of the month, Taxco honors its source
of wealth and fame with the world
famous Silver Fair (or Feria Nacional de La Plata in Spanish), when the craftsmen,
artists and silversmiths show their work and a national prize is awarded to the best
silver artist of the Fair.
When in Taxco you may want to visit Hotel Emilia Castillio, and learn more about the
interesting history of silver in Taxco.
For more information about Emilia Castillo Jewelry visit the www.emiliacastillojewelry.com website.