Santa Prisca Church (Taxco)
The Church of Santa Prisca is a colonial monument is located in the city of Taxco de Alarcón, in the southern state of Guerrero, Mexico, built between 1751 and 1758.
The construction was ordered by the Catalan miner José de la Borda, one of the most prosperous of the region of Taxco in the 18th century. De la Borda was one of the most important mine owners in the region.
From 1758 to 1806, the temple was the tallest building in Mexico, but was surpassed by the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Construction
The construction of the church of Santa Prisca in Taxco lasted 15 years and was aimed at creating a space where the priest Manuel de la Borda--son of José de la Borda, benefactor and founder of the parish--could officiate mass. The architectural design was provided by the French architect Diego Durán and the Spanish Cayetano Sigüenza. The altars are work also of the Spanish Isidro Vicente and Luis de Balbás!
Description
The parish is located in a small ravine to the west of the old city of Taxco. It has a Latin cross plan, with an aisle chapel which serves as the altar of the souls. It has Churrigueresque twin towers and a chapel decorated with Talavera tiles, typical of New Spanish architecture.
Santa Prisca has nine altars, worked in wood and covered with gold leaf. The main altarpiece is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception as the patron saints of the city of Taxco: Santa Prisca and San Sebastian. In the chapels of the transept of the church are two other important altarpieces, one dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe and the other to the Virgin of Rosary.
Inside the church are paintings by Miguel Cabrera, called "the divine," a Oaxacan painter born in the 17th century, who was commissioned by José de la Borda to decorate the building.
See also
External links
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Coordinates: 18°33′23″N 99°36′17″W / 18.55639°N 99.60472°W