Taxco (redirected from Taxco de Alarcón)

Taxco (täs`kō), 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.

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Taxco

 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.