The Church of San Sebastian in Taxco, Mexico
About this photograph
- Creator
- Margery H. Freeman
- Date created
- July 1970
- Location
- Taxco, Mexico
- License
- This photograph copyright ©2007. Terms of use
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- Search LEARN NC for colonialism, Mexico, Roman Catholicism, silver, silversmith, and Taxco.
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The baroque facade of a large colonial-era church sits at the end of a narrow street. The cobblestones on the street are laid in geometric patterns. Numerous pedestrians are walking on the street. On the right is a colonial building with a lower-level arcade that is attracting the attention of several passers-by.
Taxco is a town south of Mexico City, in the state of Guerrero, known for its silver mines and silversmiths. Taxco was famous for its rich silver mines since before the arrival of the Spanish. During the colonial period, Taxco was one of the most profitable areas under Spain’s control. After independence, silver mining declined, but Taxco emerged as a focus point for the artwork of silversmiths. Today, the town is a popular tourist destination both for its colonial architecture and high-winding streets, as well as its high-quality silver artwork.
