Silver mecca: Taxco

Taxco, unlike Cuernavaca, has clung steadfastly to its colonial charm, aided by being labeled as a National Heritage site in 1990 by the Mexican government.  Building codes require old buildings to be restored and new ones, from the Oxxo (a type of 7-11 store) to the 

Pemex gas station, to use a colonial style.Known for its silver, Taxco charms the eyes as well as the pocketbook; we strolled for hours

among the labyrinth of streets, and could easily go back for another day.   Although the silver mines, originally mined by the Spaniards with forced local labor, are almost depleted, you would never know it from the quantity of jewelry, beads, and other silver items available.  

      We visited several churches, and each had its own style.  The Santa Prisca is known 

for its Churrigueresque style, which made me

think of the Spanish plateresco style. Inside, a huge altarpiece made of stolen gold soared over 50 feet up, decorated with cherubs, saints, and other religious motifs.