The Coining House, Segovia facts for kids
The Coining House is an old royal mint located in Segovia, Spain. It was built way back in the 1500s. A royal mint is a special factory where coins are made for a country's king or queen. Today, this historic building is a museum. It teaches visitors all about coins, old factory machines, and Segovia's famous aqueduct.
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How the Coining House Started
The Coining House was a coin-making factory. King Philip II ordered it to be built in the late 1580s. He wanted a modern factory that used machines. These machines were powered by water wheels, which was a new idea at the time. This type of factory was already working in other parts of Europe.
Building the First Mechanized Factory
Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol helped King Philip II get all the special equipment needed. This made the Coining House the very first factory in Spain to use machines. In 1582, a team of experts from Austria came to Spain. They looked for the best place to build the new factory.
They chose a property by the Eresma River. This land used to be a place for grinding grain and making paper. Construction started on November 7, 1583. The famous Spanish architect, Juan de Herrera, drew the plans for the building. Herrera, the king, and the German experts all met to plan everything.
Changes Over Time
The technology used to make coins got better in the 1700s. They started using a new machine called a flywheel press.
During the Napoleonic Wars, Joseph Bonaparte took control of the mint. After that, coins were made for King Fernando VII and later for Queen Isabel II. The last coins were made here in 1869.
The Building's Design
The Coining House was built in the 1500s. King Philip II asked Juan Herrera, a very important architect, to design it. Herrera and a group of experts from Tyrol made the first plans. The building has stayed mostly the same since then.
It is an industrial building, meaning it was made for factory work. It sits between the Eresma River and a place called the Garden of Poets. After 1968, the factory stopped making coins. The building then started to fall apart.
Bringing the Building Back to Life
A long process to fix up the building began in 1998. The actual work to restore it happened between 2007 and 2011.
What It Is Like Today
The building was sold in 1878. It was then changed into a flour factory. It made flour until November 1967. After that, the building was left empty for a while. The city bought it in 1989.
The big project to fix it up started on February 14, 2007. Today, the Royal Mill Mint is a very special place. It is thought to be the oldest industrial building still standing in the world.
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See also
In Spanish: Real Casa de la Moneda (Segovia) para niños
