Fresnillo
Fresnillo [frAsnE'yO] (2005 census pop. 110,892) is the largest city in Zacatecas state, north central Mexico. Fresnillo was founded in 1554 by Francisco de Ibarra. The city, a rail and highway junction, is the center of a rich mining area known especially for silver. Fresnillo is the location of one of the world's richest silver mines, the Mina Proano or Fresnillo Mine, which belongs to the Penoles mining company. It has a mining school, and agriculture (cereals, beans) and cattle raising are other important economic activities. Fresnillo is also the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name which surrounds it. The municipality had a population of 196,538 and an areal extent of 4,947 km2 (1,910 sq mi).
It is the location of religious pilgrimages to see the famous Santo Nino de Atocha ("Holy Child of Atocha"), a Roman Catholic devotional statue brought to Mexico from Spain.
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