THE SPLENDOR OF MEXICO

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Miguel Alejandro Reina Gómez Maganda* l e i t n o M e i s l E alking down the cobbled colonial Until 1528, Taxco was nothing more than streets, you feel that you lose your - a mining camp. This changed in 1534 when Wself little by little along that fine the first veins of gold and silver were discov - line between reality and fantasy. The white ered and mined; by 1570, Taxco was the most facades of the red-tiled houses climb perfect - important mining center in New Spain. ly synchronized up the green “Atachi” Hill Climbing hills and digging tunnels, Real de (meaning “Lord of the Waters” in Nahuatl), Minas was in its heyday during the viceroyalty. creating a dream city, perpetually protected by By the end of the sixteenth century, the city’s seven hills, like seven Aztec warriors guarding original site, now known as “Old Taxco”, would their dam sel. One of these hills is split in two move 10 kilometers to the south. There, the by a water fall, a silver serpen - Spaniards set up residence and tine, like the silver that fills the gave the place the name Real bowels of Taxco. A beloved city de Minas de Tetel cin go. The that allows itself to be loved even locals, for their part, conti n ued more in me mory: truly the capital to re side in Tlach co tecapan and of the spirit. A labyrinth be t ween Acayotla, today the San Mi- the moun tains that invites you to guel and Gua da lupe neighbor - lose your self in it to possess it. hoods. I arrive at its center, the pla- They say that among the za framing the magnificence of miners numbered black slaves the Santa Prisca Church, a ba- who carried out one of the firs t ro que glory that will enchant the rebellions against the ex ploi - most pagan visitor. This feeling tation they suffered during that grows with the aroma of the colonial period. Many of bread and fresh vegetables com - the rebels fled to the coast, ing from the market, with the re - where their descendants live frain of its arti sans’ voices offer - today. ing their colorful products and with The city of Taxco grew the warm, friendly smiles of the with out any concerted urban locals, produ ces an atmosphere Statue of Juan Ruiz de Alarcón planning. Winding up the hill, that mak es it impossible to do any - outside the Spratling Museum. white-walled, clay-tiled hou s - thing but let yourself go and enjoy the place. es, little cobbled streets with disquietingly un - A foreigner next to me asks a peasant the de fined destinations and plazas adorned with name of the city; the peasant answers sweet - multicolored flowers and vines sprang up, every - ly, “It is colonial Taxco.” thing that would later turn Taxco into a World Taxco de Alarcón is located in the central Heritage Treasure. part of the state of Guerrero. Its name comes Throughout its history, Taxco has been vis - from the name of the ancient pre-Hispanic city ited by world-famous, historic figures and has Tlachco, meaning “place of the ball game” in even given birth to some of them. Perhaps the Nahuatl. Tlachco was one of the many towns most important was renowned dramatist Juan of the great Aztec empire. Its particularity was Ruiz de Alarcón y Mendoza, one of our literary that, in contrast to the others, this town paid treasures and, besides the great Sor Juana Inés tribute to Moctezuma in gold and silver. de la Cruz, the only other person born in the Western Hemisphere to be part of the plethora of * Script writer born in Guerrero. writers of the Golden Century of Spanish li te r - Photos on this and the previous page by Elsie Montiel. ature, along with giants like Mi guel de Cer van -

66 tes Saavedra, Tirso de Molina, Luis de Gón gora y a single man, Juan Ruiz de Alarcón, constitute Argote and Francisco de Que vedo, among others. the celebrated “Alarconian Days” created by Juan Ruiz de Alarcón saw the light of day Guerrero government decree. for the first time in 1580. His legacy is not only Another name inseparable from the city is his works of literary genius, but also his exam - Don José de la Borda, who in 1716 took up re s - ple of untiring, tenacious struggle, since his idence in Taxco. Known as “The phoenix of the being born with a hunchback meant that hu man rich miners in the Americas,” he would foster misery marginalized him and put obstacles in mining in the region, simultaneously becom - his path all his life. ing the city’s main benefactor. His nickname In homage to this, since 1987, every year referred to the many times he lost and remade Taxco becomes the scene of the meeting of his fortune, which he used to a great extent to the sixteenth century and our time. Art of all erect buildings that ennoble his name. The main kind throughout the city, and voices invoking example of this is the magnificent Santa Prisca

The white facades of the red-tiled houses climb perfectly synchronized up the green “Atachi” Hill creating a dream city, perpetually protected by seven hills. l l e e i i t t n n o o M M

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Santa Prisca achieves such a symbiosis with the city that it would seem that the entire urban area had been erected just to surround it.

Church, an imposing presence on the city’s Cabrera is the only artist of the time who main plaza, which is named for him in recog - dared to challenge all the cannons established nition of his legacy. by the church, painting portraits of a Pregnant Work on this church, considered one of Mary , The Circumcision of Jesus and The Death Mex ico’s most important examples of colonial of Mary . architecture, began in February 1751 and cul - Considered by historian Elisa Vargas Lugo minated seven years later. It was consecrated “the pearl of eighteenth-century baroque,” to the Purísima Concepción, with Prisca and Santa Prisca is one of those monuments that Sebas tián, third-century Christian martyrs, as achieves such a symbiosis with the city that it patron saints. The first mass was officiated by would seem that the entire urban area had Father Manuel de la Borda, Don José’s son. San - been erected just to surround it. The visitor ta Prisca is the result of joint work by ge niu ses cannot but raise his eyes and admire the mar - of the viceroyalty: Cayetano de Sigüenza was velous facade, which on his first visit there Ar - the architect; the altar pieces, carved in pure gentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges called “the gold leaf, were done by Vicente and Luis de most obvious symbol of perplexity.” Balbás; but perhaps the most widely recog nized One night in April 1803, the celebrated Ger - was Miguel Cabrera, an indigenous artist who man traveler Baron Alexander von Humboldt did the paintings. arrived in the city; he classified Taxco’s cli mate

68 as the best in the world. The house where he pieces of silver combining the pre-Hispanic stayed bears his name to this day and is home heritage with contemporary design. These ac ti - to the Vi ceregal Art Museum, whose 14 rooms vities are flanked by cultural and artistic events hold Mex ico’s most important pieces of sacred , to delight visitors. viceregal art. Among Taxco’s other contributions to the Another emblematic figure in Taxco’s past world, we must mention the international was the American William Spratling, a vision - sym bol for Christmas, the poinsettia, native to ary and great designer who fostered the genius the area and discovered by Fernando de of Taxco residents, today known as creators of Poinsett. unique pieces of fine metal work. It is nighttime in Taxco. Seated on a balcony In 1931, he opened the first silver-working of one of the picturesque bars that look out onto workshop called “Las Delicias.” He developed the Borda Plaza, we can gaze at the imposing a school of silver and goldsmiths and jewelers facade of Santa Prisca and admire the moon, so that has become world famous. In 1932, Sprat - often described metaphorically as made of sil - l i ng celebrated the first anniversary of his work - ver. Looking at it like this, it becomes clear that shop and instituted “Silversmiths’ Day.” The it must have been born here. event became so famous that in 1953, on the Looking at the sky, more beautiful than ever , initiative o f Guerrero state Governor Alejandro full of stars; breathing in history and witness - Gómez Ma ganda, Mexican President Adolfo ing the gentle life of the city’s inhabitants, word s Ruiz Cortines decreed the National Silver Fair fail me to describe it. The only thing left to say and the In ternational Silver Competition. is that no one should leave this Earth, no one Every year, Taxco opens its doors to the should die without having seen Taxco de Alar - world so people can admire its astonishing cón, Guerrero. z z e e u u q q z z á á V V

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