Almadén mine

Almadén mine
General information about the mine
View of Almadén, the mine in the foreground
other names	Minas de Almadén
Mining technology	Civil engineering
Rare minerals	Cinnabarit , Schuetteit
Information about the mining company
Operating company	Minas de Almadén y Arrayanes, SA, SME (MAYASA)
Successor use	Visitor mine
Funded raw materials
Degradation of	cinnabar
Geographical location
Coordinates	38 ° 46 '32.6 "  N , 4 ° 50' 53.2"  W Coordinates: 38 ° 46 '32.6 "  N , 4 ° 50' 53.2"  W.
Location Almadén mine
Location	Calle los Mineros, 74, 13400 Almadén
local community	Almadén
province	Ciudad Real Province
Country	Spain
District	Almadén

Mercury heritage: Almadén and Idrija
UNESCO world heritage
National territory:	Spain
Type:	Culture
Criteria :	ii, iv
Reference No .:	1313rev
UNESCO region :	Europe and North America
History of enrollment
Enrollment:	2012  (session 36)

Almadén around 1880

Mercury drop

The Almadén mine in Almadén , a town in the Ciudad Real province of the Spanish Autonomous Region of Castile-La Mancha , was one of the most important European mining sites for cinnabar , a mineral from which mercury was obtained by roasting , for over 2000 years . The Almadén deposit is one of the largest cinnabar deposits in the world. It is estimated that over 250,000 tons of mercury were extracted in Almadén. In 2003 the mine was closed and converted into a visitor mine , the Parque Minero de Almadén , which opened in 2008. In 2012, the Almadén mine, including the associated buildings in the old town, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List together with the Slovenian Idrija mine as a World Heritage Site of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija .

geology

In the Handbook of Metallurgy from 1904 there is the following entry for Almadén:

“At Almaden, on the northern slope of the Sierra Morena, between Badajoz and Ciudad Real, cinnabar can be found together with genuine mercury in a 16 km long and 10 km wide district in Silurian and Devonian layers, which are made up of slates, quartzites and sandstones and in small quantities There are also limestones, namely in three nearly vertical, tabular masses about 183 m long and 3.7 to 7.6 m thick. In these masses it appears both broken in and in ruins. The mercury content of the individual ore types ranges from 0.75 to 25.05%. On average it should be 8–9%. "

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  Vermilion from Almadén

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  Cinnabar with mercury from Almadén

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  Vermilion from Almadén

history

Almadén ores were mined as early as the 3rd century BC. Vermilion has been used as a color pigment in painting since ancient times. The Celtic name of Almadén, Sisapo or Sislone , means cave from which metals are extracted . In Roman times, Almadén must have had a certain importance, as coins were minted here, as is shown by finds of copper coins with the inscription SAESAPO . Mining continued under the Moorish rule . Mercury was needed for medicinal purposes and played an important role in alchemy . It was also used for tanning leather. The Arab historian and geographer al-Idrisi reports on the exploitation of the deposits in the Moorish period. Up to 1000 miners were employed and a depth of over 420 meters is said to have been reached. The current name Almadén goes back to the Moors and derives from hins al madin ( mine , mineral ). The old Spanish name for mercury azogue also comes from Arabic.

After the Reconquista , the Christian reconquest of Almadén in the middle of the 13th century, the deposit came into the possession of the Order of the Calatrava , who leased it. In 1487, a papal bull designated the Spanish King Ferdinand the Catholic as Grand Master of the order and thus subordinated the order to the Spanish crown, which from then on owned its goods. In return for financing his election as Roman-German Emperor in 1519, Charles V transferred the lease of the Almadén mines to the Augsburg merchant and banker Anton Fugger . For a period of 120 years until the middle of the 17th century, cinnabar mining remained in the hands of the Fugger family , who introduced various technical innovations such as the flame furnace . For the management of the mines and the associated lands, the Fuggers set up a trading post in Almagro, around 120 kilometers away, in the Almacén de los Fúcares building, which is still named after them today .

After the Spanish and Portuguese voyages to the so-called New World and the discovery of gold and silver there, the demand for mercury increased. Mercury was used to loosen the precious metals from the rock. Most of the mercury was transported to the American colonies via Seville , for which special ships were built. The dangerous and unhealthy work in the mine had to be done by slaves and prisoners ( forzados ) who were sentenced to mine work instead of the galley . Most of the time they did not see the end of their sentence. In 1799, forced labor in the mines was lifted.

In the 17th century cinnabar mining declined, the developed deposits were largely mined. In 1755 there was a devastating fire in the Mina del Castillo , which raged for over two years and in which many people died. The facilities were modernized in the 18th century, and several directors were appointed to Almadén from the Freiberg Bergakademie, founded in Saxony in 1765 .

The ore mines belonged to the Rothschild family from 1835 to 1921 , after which they were nationalized. The mine, which employed up to 2000 people at the time of its greatest activity, is currently under the control of the state mining company MAYASA (Minas de Almadén y Arrayanes), founded in 1982.

In 2003, cinnabar mining in Almadén was stopped due to the sharp drop in demand for mercury, the use of which was severely restricted and banned in various countries due to its harmful effects on health.

Environmental remediation

After the mine was closed, 3.5 million tons of highly toxic waste had to be disposed of on an area of ​​almost ten hectares. The European Regional Development Fund invested over 1.4 million euros in converting it into a nature reserve and mining museum.

Mine buildings and day facilities

Charles IV Gate

Headframe of the San Aquilino shaft

Engine house of the San Aquilino shaft

Wheelbarrows underground

The degradation site of Almaden is several kilometers routes (passes) traversed and reaches over 23 soles (height levels), a depth (depth) of 716 meters. The oldest part of the complex with five levels and a depth of 170 meters, which is called Mina Fúcar (Fugger Mine), was probably already exploited by the Romans and abandoned after the fire in 1755. In the course of its history, various shafts , routes and tunnels that were necessary for driving (transporting the miners), ventilating (ventilation) and ore extraction were created. The plant is divided into two walled areas, the Cerco de San Teodoro area , on which - with the exception of the San Joaquín shaft - the extraction shafts are located, and the Cerco de Buitrones area , where further processing takes place.

San Aquilino shaft

The San Aquilino shaft, the oldest shaft, was commissioned before 1543. It has 14 levels and a depth of 378 meters. The shaft's machine house was built between 1907 and 1910 for the electric hoisting machine, which replaced the steam engine from 1874. The headframe also dates from the early 20th century.

San Teodoro shaft

The San Teodoro shaft is located a few meters from the San Aquilino shaft. It was constructed in the 18th century and was the most important extraction shaft until the San Joaquín shaft on the Cerco de Buitrones site was opened in 1975. The shaft was changed several times, its current appearance goes back to the modernization in 1962. In the shaft there is a horse peg from the middle of the 18th century and a metal peg, which was removed with the electrification in 1920. With the Koepe disk it was possible to convey up to a depth of 522 meters. In the San Teodoro shaft, the first steam engine was used for mine drainage in Spain.

San Andrés shaft

In the San Andrés shaft, at a depth of 50 meters, a göpel was reconstructed in a 13-meter-high domed hall . The mined cinnabar ore was extracted from a depth of up to 700 meters with this cap. The shaft was built around 1700 after the Mina del Castillo was discovered in 1697.

San Joaquín shaft

The San Joaquín shaft was commissioned in 1960 and modernized in 1975. It is the only shaft located on the Cerco de Buitrones site. The shaft reaches a depth of 700 meters. The machine house is next to the shaft.

Roasting ovens

The bustamente or Aludel oven was introduced in Almadén in the middle of the 17th century by Juan Alonso de Bustamante. The gaseous mercury produced during the roasting process is sublimed in these ovens . Today two of these ovens ( Hornos de Aludeles o Bustamante ) are still preserved on the Cerco de Buitrones site, which is surrounded by a wall. A gate named after the Spanish King Charles IV ( Puerta de Carlos IV ), which was built in 1795, leads onto the site. Another gate, the Gate of the Carts ( Puerta de carros ), dates back to the 17th century. This is where the historic Camino Real del Azogue mercury road begins , which leads to Seville .

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  Bustament or aluminum oven

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  Section through a roasting oven (1838)

In the northeast of the Cerco de Buitrones there are four more ovens ( Hornos Pacific-Herreschof ), which were in operation from 1954 to 2003. Only the chimney remains of the Cermax Spirek furnace ( Horno Cermak Spirek ).

Brick factory

The kiln for bricks ( Horno de Tejeras ) was probably built in the 17th century and was in operation until the first half of the 20th century. There were several of these ovens on the Cerco de Buitrones site . This is where the bricks and aluminum noodles were burned, which were needed in large numbers for the roasting ovens. The clay came from clay pits in the vicinity of Almadén.

More buildings

The World Heritage Site of the Almadén Mine includes other buildings in the old town and the surrounding area, such as the parish churches of San Sebastián and Nuestra Señora de la Estrella, both from the 18th century.

Mining Museum

The mining museum is located in the former compressor hall.

Museo del Mercurio

The Museo del Mercurio (Mercury Museum ) is housed in a building from 1941 that served as a storage room for mercury. The rooms on the ground floor are dedicated to the geology and paleontology of the region. The history of mercury, its extraction and processing is also presented. You can see the rooms in which it was weighed and packed. The history of the mine and the transport of mercury to America are presented in the basement.

Miners Hospital Sankt Raphael

Former miners hospital

The Saint Raphael Royal Miners Hospital ( Real Hospital de Mineros de San Rafael ) was built between 1755 and 1773. It replaced a previous hospital that had become too small for the many miners suffering from mercury poisoning . Until 1975 the Hospital de Mineros was used as a hospital. Today it houses the mine archive, some of it is set up as a museum and there are rooms for exhibitions.

Academia de Minas

In 1777, by royal decision Charles III. the Academia de Minas was founded in Almadén , a mining academy based on the Freiberg model, whose first directors Heinrich Christoph Störr, Johann Martin Hoppensack and Johann Friedrich Mayer came from Germany. The school still exists today under the name Escuela de Ingeniería Minera e Industrial de Almadén . In 1985 it was integrated into the University of Castile-La Mancha . The current building was erected in the 1970s on the ruins of the former prison.

Miners Prison

The San Miguel Chapel, dedicated to Archangel Michael , is the only remnant of the old mining prison from the 17th century. Since going to church on Sundays offered the prisoners an opportunity to escape, a separate chapel was built inside the prison in 1645. The old prison was used until 1795. As early as 1754, the Royal Dungeon for Forced Laborers ( Real Cárcel de Forzados ) was built as an extension of the old prison . The building was connected to the mine by a 450 meter long underground passage. After the abolition of forced labor in the mine in 1799, the building served as a provincial prison in the 19th century. From 1939 to 1941 it was used as a concentration camp and then as a grain silo until it was demolished in 1969. Under the current building of the Escuela de Ingeniería Minera e Industrial de Almadén , some remains of the walls of the former prison are preserved.

Bullring

Bullring

The bullring was built between 1752 and 1765. The arena encompasses a hexagonal area with 24 apartments that were needed to accommodate an increasing number of miners. The income from the bullfighting was to help finance the construction of the miners' hospital.

Retamar Castle

The castle Castillo de Retamar was built during the Moorish rule to protect the mining site. In 1467, when it was owned by the Order of Calatrava, it was fortified and expanded. Today only a few walls and a tower built in the 18th century over the west facade of the former castle are preserved.

House of the Inquisition

The House of the Inquisition ( Casa de la Inquisición or Casa de los Fúcares ) was built for the Dominican order at the end of the 15th century . It was later inhabited by the administrators of the Fugger family, who held the lease for the mercury mining from 1525 to 1649. On the lintel of the portal there is a coat of arms with a palm frond and a sword, the two dogs next to it are an allusion to the Dominicans, the domini canes (dogs of the Lord).

Mine Management Building

From the Royal Palace of the Mines Administration ( Real Palacio de la Superintendencia ) from the 18th century only the facade with the portal remains. The palace housed the mine manager's apartment and offices. A park has now been created on the site of the building.

Web links

Commons : Almadén Mine  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Heritage of Mercury. Nomination text. Unesco World Heritage
• Almadén. Minas de Sierra Morena (Spanish)
• World Heritage Mining Park of Almadén. European Route of Industrial Heritage
• Parque Minero de Almadén. Minas de Almadén y Arrayanes (MAYASA) (Spanish and English)
• Parque Minero de Almadén. Parque Minero de Almadén (Spanish and English)
• Parque Minero. Ayuntamiento de Almadén (Spanish)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Minas de Almadén y Arrayanes (MAYASA) Minas de Almadén y Arrayanes (MAYASA) (Spanish and English, accessed on August 26, 2020)
2. ↑ Mines of Almadén Instituto de Turismo de España (TURESPAÑA)
3. ↑ Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija UNESCO World Heritage Center (accessed June 15, 2016)
4. ^ Carl Schnabel : Handbuch der Metallhüttenkunde: Second volume. Zinc - Cadmium - Mercury ... 2nd edition, Verlag Julius Springer, Berlin 1904, p. 336 (accessed on August 30, 2020).
5. ↑ Historia. Ayuntamiento de Almadén
6. ↑ Almaden, Revier. Mineralienatlas - Fossilatlas (accessed June 25, 2016)
7. ↑ From landfill to cultural monument: the mines of Almadén get a second chance ( Memento of June 25, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) European Fund for Regional Development, Project No. 6
8. ^ Carl Schnabel: Handbuch der Metallhüttenkunde: Second volume. Zinc - Cadmium - Mercury ... 2nd edition, Verlag Julius Springer, Berlin 1904, p. 350 (accessed on August 30, 2020).
9. ^ Puerta de Carlos IV. Ayuntamiento de Almadén
10. ^ Hospital de Mineros de San Rafael. Ayuntamiento de Almadén
11. ^ Escuela de Ingeniería Minera e Industrial de Almadén. Historia. Escuela de Ingeniería Minera e Industrial de Almadén
12. ↑ Casa Academia de Minas. Ayuntamiento de Almadén
13. ↑ Real Cárcel de Forzados. Ayuntamiento de Almadén
14. ↑ Plaza de Toros. Ayuntamiento de Almadén
15. ↑ Castillo de Retamar. Ayuntamiento de Almadén