Almacén de los Fúcares (Almagro)
The Almacén de los Fúcares building in Almagro in the Ciudad Real province of the Spanish Autonomous Region of Castile-La Mancha was built in the 16th century as a trading post for the Fugger family from Augsburg . The Universidad Popular (adult education center) has been housed here since 1984 .
history
In return for financing the election of Charles V as emperor in 1519, the Fuggers received the lease for the extraction of mercury in the Almadén mine, about 120 kilometers from Almagro . The important cinnabar deposits from which the mercury is extracted were already mined in antiquity, and the Moorish rulers also exploited the mines. The demand for mercury increased after the Spanish and Portuguese conquests of the so-called New World and the discovery of gold and silver deposits there. Mercury was used to loosen the precious metals from the rock. It was shipped to the American colonies via Seville . The mines were managed in the Fugger's trading post and also served as a warehouse for the grain produced in the leased lands.
architecture
The building is made of quarry stone and brick . The square inner courtyard is surrounded by two-story Renaissance- style galleries . The arcades on the ground floor are rounded, and on the upper floor they are arched . On both floors they rest on stone columns with Tuscan capitals. A stone balustrade runs around the upper floor.
Arcades of the courtyard
Upstairs balustrade
Arcades of the inner courtyard, staircase
Web links
- Almacén de los Fúcares ciudad-almagro.com (Spanish, accessed June 14, 2016)
- The most important company of its time fugger.de (accessed on June 14, 2016)
- Almacén de los Fúcares rutasporespana.es (Spanish, accessed June 14, 2016)
Individual evidence
- ^ Mining Park of Almadén European Route of Industrial Heritage (accessed June 14, 2016)
- ↑ Historia de las Minas de Almadén Parque Minero de Almadén (Spanish and English, accessed June 14, 2016)
Coordinates: 38 ° 53 '24.2 " N , 3 ° 42' 35.8" W.