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Camino Real of Mexico

Type Object Region North America Time c. 1550–1821

The Camino Real of Mexico is the collective name for a network of colonial royal roads linking Mexico City with northern mining districts, border for…

Timeline

  1. c. 1550–1600Direction from Mexico City to Zacatecas · New SpainWith the development of silver mines such as Zacatecas, the colonial authorities built mule-passable official roads along indigenous trails, setting up postal relay stations, bridges, and rest stops, forming an initial road network linking the capital with the mining districts.
  2. c. 1611–1620Mexico City · New SpainBetween 1611 and 1620, the Camino Real network had linked Mexico City, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, and Chihuahua and other key places, carrying silver bars northward, mercury supplies southward, and official postal traffic, serving as the main artery of colonial logistics.
  3. c. 1700–1800Northern New Spain · MexicoDuring the Bourbon period, road maintenance and postal relay management were strengthened; the northern extensions supported border defense and missionary work, and the Camino Real remained the core corridor of transcontinental internal trade.
  4. 1821–1900Mexico · MexicoAfter Mexican independence, railways and highways rose, and the Camino Real gradually lost its status as the main transport corridor; some sections were preserved as cultural heritage, and in 2010 the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro was inscribed as a World Heritage Site.

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