Real del Monte

Discovering Mexico: Real del Monte

Sitting at an altitude of 2,700m, Real del Monte in the Mexican state of Hidalgo is a pretty colonial-era town. But with its silver mining heritage, architecture and meat pasties, Real del Monte is also home to a little slice of Cornwall, southwest England.

The surrounding silver mines produced more than half the silver produced during the 300 years of Spanish rule between 1521 and 1821. But the mines were in bad condition when they were sold in 1824 to a group of English investors.

The investors formed the Company of the Gentlemen . . .