All new buildings must be conform to colonial architecture (source)
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Originally called Tlacho by the Aztecs, meaning “the place of the ballgame,” Taxco is truly an enchanting town located on the slopes of a tropical hill and surrounded by rocky cliffs, some 85 kilometers south-west of Mexico City.
This old silver-mining city has retained its colonial charm thanks to a classical labyrinth of cobblestone streets and passageways surrounded by white stucco buildings whose red-tile roofs nuzzle against the hills of the Sierra Madre. New buildings must conform to the look & feel of the surrounding architecture, including a "colonial style" pemex gas station.
Throughout the day, the town is bustling with VW taxis, street merchants, and shoppers from Mexico City and beyond. Yet, for centuries it was the region's wealth of silver that attracted foreigners. The first mine in the region opened in 1524 in what is now Taxco's central plaza, by the direct order of Hernán Cortes, who had discovered that the Aztecs of this region had been using silver coins for centuries.
Nowadays, the silver mines are mostly a thing of the past. However, the centuries-old tradition of making handmade silver jewelry is as vibrant as ever, with the city consuming some two tons of silver each day.
From its peaceful highland setting and quaint colonial architecture to its mild, sunny weather, Taxco offers an enchanted land to all who make the journey from Mexico's better known tourist destinations. And here, the silver is real.
Once an Aztec Stronghold
Taxco's history is as rich as the silver veins that once fueled its fame.
Before the Spanish arrived, the native Indians called the area Tlacho meaning the place of the ballgame. According to local legend the Aztecs had the locals pay tribute to them with gold bars.
The Spaniards had just defeated the Aztec Empire when, in 1522, Cortes staked his mining claim in Taxco. In 1529 Captain Rodrigo de Castaneda founded the city. Two years later, three prospectors in search of tin constructed the first Spanish mine on the American continent. They didn’t find much tin, but discovered instead some promising veins of silver. Yet, it was not until 1743 that prospector Jose de la Borda hit upon the hugely rich vein. The "silver city" was born.
By the end of the 16th century, silver from Taxco had spread across Europe, and remote Taxco was renowned 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.
During the 17th century, 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.
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Next: The Zocalo of Taxco 
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