states: [bolivia]
category: cultural
year: 1987
location: Potosi, Province of Potosi
region: Latin America and the Caribbean
latitude/longitude: -19.5836100000, -65.7530600000
visited: 2024
In the 16th century, this area was regarded as the world’s largest industrial complex. The extraction of silver ore relied on a series of hydraulic mills. The site consists of the industrial monuments of the Cerro Rico, where water is provided by an intricate system of aqueducts and artificial lakes; the colonial town with the Casa de la Moneda; the Church of San Lorenzo; several patrician houses; and the barrios mitayos, the areas where the workers lived.
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