The town of Taxco is located in the north of Guerrero state in a mountainous landscape with a temperate climate. It was founded in 1528 and its name derives from Nahuatl, meaning “place of the ball game.” Its pre-Hispanic predecessor, the town of Taxco el Viejo, lies 13 kilometers to the southeast, and was the seat of Nahua indigenous groups. Taxco de Alarcón owes the second element of its name to the writer and playwright Juan Ruiz de Alarcón, who born in this city in 1572.

The mines in the region were discovered by Hernán Cortés and the exploitation of the silver mines was decisive activity to its urban development. Many people have heard of Taxco as a center of silversmithing, although it was only after World War II that it gained international fame for this reason.

In Taxco there was a Mining Council, considered one of the oldest of the viceregal era. It was also the scene of major events during the struggle for the Independence of Mexico, when it was taken by the insurgents, led by José María Morelos.

Taxco was declared a Zone of Historical Monuments on March 19, 1990. The historical zone comprises an area of 0.374 km2, a perimeter that contains 72 blocks, including many buildings with historical value built between the 17th and 19th centuries, of which ten were used at some point for religious worship. Among these are: the monastery complex of San Bernardino, the churches of Señor de Chavarrieta, Santa María de Guadalupe, San Miguel Arcángel, San Nicolás, Señor de la Santa Veracruz, Santísima Trinidad, Señor Ojeda, the Presbyterian church and the church of Santa Prisca, which is characterized by its splendid Churrigueresque style facade and is an extraordinary example of Baroque art in New Spain. Its construction was financed by José de Borda, who owned several mines in the town. Together, the religious buildings also display different periods in the development of architecture in Mexico and the prevailing style of construction in each era.

Other buildings were used for educational purposes, welfare services and a public orphanage, as well as for the use of civil and military authorities. Among these the following are of note: the Casa Grande, the Former Customs House, the Cultural Center and Action College, Taxco Cultural Center, the public laundries from the 18th century and the fountains located in corners and squares, including those by the names of Borda, Bernal, San Juan, Chavarrieta, Del Convento, Guadalupe, De los Gallos, Progreso and Santa Cruz. The remaining buildings are civil buildings for private use that, taken as a whole, acquire special significance for maintaining the harmony of this area whose integral conservation is of national interest.

Taxco de Alarcón has a characteristic layout of mining towns that is determined by the topography, with sloping streets that present irregular shapes that widen or curve to form corners and narrow squares for public use, some of these have fountains that were part of the hydraulic system that allowed the supply and distribution of water to the town’s population.

The streets of Taxco are paved with special cobbles that permit the circulation of pedestrians, animals and vehicles. The streets generate confused perspectives and frame unexpected views, such as of the slopes of the Atachi and Huisteco peaks and other hills that form the surroundings. The overall appearance of the city is characterized by the way the buildings are adapted to the natural landscape.

The factories, mills and productive estates borrowed their floor plans, different elements and construction systems from Roman architecture, such as aqueducts, tunnels, water mills, vaults and stone structures built according to the canons of Vitruvius. Similarly, the influence of the Renaissance is evident in the design of elements using the principles of the golden section or the Fibonacci series.

Today, Taxco is recognized as the oldest mining center in the American continent, known as the world capital of silver, and famous across Mexico for the processions through its streets during the celebration of Holy Week. Its most important economic activities are artisanal silversmithing and tourism.

Tourist activities focus on visiting historical sites, the crafts market, the caves, as well as the museums, including the Guillermo Spratling Museum. The latter owes its name to the American silversmith who came to the town in 1929 and revitalized the economy with the creation of the silversmithing industry, as well as tinsmithing.

Due to its traditions, cuisine, festivities, as well as the beauty of its natural landscape and its buildings, Taxco was incorporated into the Pueblos Mágicos (Magical Towns) Program in 2002.