Editing Guanajuato (city) (section)

===Colonial era===
{{See also|Global silver trade from the 16th to 19th centuries}}The Spanish found deposits of gold here in the 1540s and soon they sent soldiers and built forts.<ref name="rincones95"/> In 1548, the outpost was formally established with the name of Real de Minas de Guanajuato by viceroy Don [[Antonio de Mendoza]].<ref name="significado"/><ref name="encmuc"/> Despite [[Chichimeca]] attacks, the population of the area grew rapidly with the arrival of Spanish and [[Criollo people|Creole]] migrants and indigenous and [[mestizo]] traders and workers.<ref name="mexdesgto"/><ref name="rincones95"/> It was soon declared a town with the name of Santa Fe Real de Minas de Guanajuato, with Preafán de Rivera as mayor. Its first church was consecrated in 1555,<ref name="mexdesgto"/> and it was named an “[[alcaldía mayor]]” in 1574.<ref name="significado"/><ref name="encmuc"/>

Initially, the city was divided into four barrios or neighborhoods called Marfil/Santiago, Tepetapa, Santa Ana and Santa Fe. The last is considered the oldest and is in the current colonia of Pastita. This city was split by a small river that served as a main thoroughfare.<ref name="mexdesgto"/> The oldest neighborhoods are Rayas y Mellado, Cata, La Valenciana, and Pastita, named after the mines found there.<ref name="rincones96">Gonzalez, p. 96</ref>
[[File:Teatro Juárez, Guanajuato, México.jpg|left|thumb|The city's Spanish colonial past is well evidenced in its splendid architecture.]]
The very first mineral vein discovered, called San Bernabé, attracted attention not only in [[New Spain]], but in Spain itself. The discovery brought thousands of migrants to the area, which led to the discovery of other deposits, such as at the Rayas mine. The San Bernabé find produced until 1928, when it tapped out. Today, the remains of this mine are found in the small village of La Luz, just outside the city proper.<ref name="leyendasgto20">Leyendas, p. 20</ref>

In 1679, by decree of [[viceroy of Mexico]] Fray [[Payo Enriquez de Rivera]], the name was changed to Ciudad de Santa Fe y Real de Minas de Guanajuato (Very Noble and Loyal City of Santa Fe y Real de Minas de Guanajuato). It received an [[Escutcheon (heraldry)|escutcheon]] in the same year, which is still in use. The city's coat of arms has a gold background with an image of a woman in the center referring to the Holy Faith (Santa Fe). It contains other images such as a seashell supported by two laurel branches, blue ribbon and marble columns. It is topped with the royal crown of [[Kingdom of Castile|Castille]] and [[Acanthus (ornament)|acanthus]] leaves.<ref name="significado"/><ref name="encmuc"/>

In 1741, the city received the title of “The Most Noble and Loyal City of Santa Fe de Minas de Guanajuato” and became an “intendencia” (province) in 1790 because of the abundance of riches coming from its mines.<ref name="mexdesgto"/> In the 18th century, it was the world's leading silver extraction center,<ref name="who482">{{cite web |url= https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/482/|title= Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines |publisher=WHO |access-date=November 15, 2010}}</ref> making it the richest city in Mexico for much of the early colonial period.<ref name="stampart3">Guanajuato, p. 3</ref> The production of the La Valenciana mine alone affected the world economy, and made the counts of Valencianas one of the most powerful families in New Spain.<ref name="rincones95"/> The city was one of the richest and most opulent in New Spain in the 18th century. This wealth is manifested in its civil and religious architecture.<ref name="mexdesgto"/> The colonial architecture includes some of the best [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] and [[Churrigueresque]] examples in the New World&mdash;such as the Valenciana, Cata, and La Compañía (Jesuit) Churches, and the Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato.<ref name="stampart3"/> Most constructions from this time are of pink or green sandstone. In the churches, the Baroque altars were gilded with gold from local mines.<ref name="rincones95"/> These structures have influenced later buildings throughout central Mexico. According to the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Sites]], the La Compañía and La Valenciana churches are considered among the most beautiful examples of Baroque architecture in Central and South America.<ref name="who482"/>