Unesco description
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.

Received from Sonia on 19.10.2017
The peak of Potosí is 4.824 metres above sea level. During the Spanish Empire, Potosí was the main supplier of silver. It was taken by llamas and mules to the Pacific Coast, then to Panama and onwards to Spain.