Found­ed in 1546 after the dis­cov­ery of a rich sil­ver lode, Zacate­cas reached the height of its pros­per­i­ty in the 16th and 17th cen­turies. Built on the steep slopes of a nar­row val­ley, the town has breath­tak­ing views and there are many old build­ings, both reli­gious and civ­il. The cathe­dral, built between 1730 and 1760, dom­i­nates the cen­tre of the town. It is notable for its har­mo­nious design and the Baroque pro­fu­sion of its facades, where Euro­pean and indige­nous dec­o­ra­tive ele­ments are found side by side.