Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Antonijev rov, mine entrance in Idrija
Location	Almadén, Province of Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain Idrija, Municipality of Idrija, Gorizia Statistical Region, Slovenia
Criteria	Cultural: (ii), (iv)
Inscription	2012 (36th Session)
Area	104.1 ha (257 acres)

Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija is a joint UNESCO World Heritage site in Almadén, Spain, and Idrija, Slovenia. The property includes two mercury mining sites. In Almadén mercury has been extracted since antiquity, while in Idrija it was first found in 1490 AD. The Almadén site includes buildings relating to its mining history. These include Retamar Castle, religious buildings and traditional houses. The site in Idrija notably features mercury storage and infrastructure. It also includes miners’ living quarters, and a miners’ theatre. The sites shows how trade in mercury generated important exchanges between Europe and America over the centuries. The two sites represent the two largest mercury mines in the world and were working mines until recent times.

Images for kids

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  Interior of one of the Almadén's mines

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  Furnace of Bustamante of the mines of Almadén.

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  Headframe of the mines of Almadén.

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  Building of the pump in Idrija.

See also

In Spanish: Patrimonio del mercurio: Almadén e Idrija para niños