Church of the miners in Valencia, Mexico

The cross-topped spire of an ornately-carved stone church reaches up into a blue sky. This church was dedicated to the silver miners who worked and died in the area during the colonial period. Much of Mexico's wealth emerged in the form of silver. Tens of thousands of miners, both Indian and Spanish, toiled in the mines. Hundreds made their fortunes, while thousands lost their lives. Churches like this one were built from donations from the miners themselves to remember fallen comrades.