Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco
The façade
Location	Taxco
Country	Mexico
Denomination	Roman Catholic Church
Architecture
Style	New Spanish Baroque
Groundbreaking	1751
Completed	1759
Specifications
Height	40.40m (132.54 ft)
Nave height	18m (59 ft)
Other dimensions	28.30m (height of facade to the top of the image of La Purisma)
Number of towers	2
Tower height	40.40m (132.54 ft)
Materials	Stone

The Church of Santa Prisca and Saint Sebastian, often called the Church of Santa Prisca, is a beautiful old church in Taxco, Mexico. It was built between 1751 and 1759. You can find it on the east side of Taxco's main town square.

A very rich mine owner named José de la Borda paid for its construction. He made a huge fortune from the silver mines around Taxco in the 1700s. For many years, from 1758 to 1806, this church was the tallest building in Mexico! The Church of Santa Prisca is known as one of the best examples of the Churrigueresque style in New Spain.

Building the Church
What the Church Looks Like
The Legend of Santa Prisca
Gallery
See also

Building the Church

The Santa Prisca de Taxco, a great example of New Spanish Baroque.

The Church of Santa Prisca was built from 1751 to 1759. José de la Borda paid for it. He became very wealthy from the silver mines near Taxco. Even with all his money, building this amazing church almost made him go broke!

The construction took 15 years. José de la Borda wanted a special place for his son, Manuel de la Borda, to lead church services. Manuel was a priest.

José de la Borda was a very important person in Taxco. Because of his influence, the Archbishopric of Mexico let him build the church exactly how he wanted.

Cayetano José de Siguenza drew the plans for the church. It was designed in the shape of a narrow Latin cross. This was because of the shape of the land. The architect Diego Durán Berruecos built it. The beautiful altarpieces inside were designed by the brothers Isidoro Vicente and Luis de Balbás. They used the church's structure to create amazing religious designs.

What the Church Looks Like

The church is built in a slightly lower area compared to the rest of Taxco. It has a Latin cross shape. There's a side chapel for the Altar of the Souls. It also has a special tribune with ribbed vaults. These vaults hide the entrance to the sanctuary.

The church has two tall, matching towers. They are built in the Churrigueresque style. There's also a chapel decorated with Talavera tiles. These colorful tiles are a famous part of New Spanish architecture.

The main front of the church faces west, which was common. It mixes classic columns with twisted columns from the 1600s. You can see many decorations like scrolls, ribbons, leaves, and statues of saints. All these details make the front look very rich and full.

The church looks very tall and grand. The high Churrigueresque towers are carefully made. They frame the main entrance, which looks like a giant altarpiece. The front of the church shows a special building style from that time. It uses round columns at the bottom and twisted columns at the top.

Inside Santa Prisca, there are nine altarpieces that reach from the floor to the ceiling. They are made of wood and covered with gold leaf. The style of these altarpieces matches the rest of the church. They are a great example of mid-18th century New Spanish Baroque art.

The main altarpiece is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. It also honors the patron saints of Taxco: Saint Prisca and Saint Sebastian. It looks like many carvings stacked on top of each other. In the side chapels, there are two other important altarpieces. One is for the Virgin of Guadalupe and the other for the Virgin of the Rosary.

The main ideas shown in the church's art are: Saint Prisca, Saint Sebastian, the evangelists, and shells (which mean Jesus' baptism). You can also see laurel leaves (meaning triumph of faith) and grapes (meaning the blood of Christ).

Inside, you'll find paintings by Miguel Cabrera. He was a famous painter from the 1600s. José de la Borda asked him to create the paintings for the church. Cabrera painted Martyrdom of St. Sebastian and Martyrdom of St. Prisca. He also painted a large Assumption that is still in the sacristy.

The oldest record from the church's history goes back to 1598.

The Legend of Santa Prisca

There's a cool legend about the Santa Prisca Church. While it was being built, José de la Borda left Taxco for a business trip. He left the builders in charge. Soon after he left, dark clouds filled the sky. Cold winds whistled through the unfinished church towers. The workers were scared as a big storm came closer.

Suddenly, a huge bolt of lightning struck! It showed a dark shape swooping down on the church. Then, it hit the church's dome, making it glow brightly. All the tiles on the dome began to shine with strange lights. An inscription appeared clearly: "Glory to God in the Highest and peace on earth for men with good will."

Everyone in town got down on their knees to pray. They were afraid that angry demons would destroy the church. Flashes of light floated around the church. Above the church, a beautiful woman appeared. She smiled peacefully and caught the next lightning bolts in her hands.