Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Antonijev rov, mine entrance in Idrija
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv
Reference	1313
UNESCO region	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	2012 (36th Session)
Almadén Idrija Almadén and Idrija in Europe

Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija is a joint UNESCO World Heritage site in Almadén, Spain, and Idrija, Slovenia.

The property encompasses two mercury mining sites. In Almadén mercury has been extracted since Antiquity, while in Idrija it was first found in 1490 A.D.^[1] The Almadén site includes buildings relating to its mining history, including Retamar Castle, religious buildings and traditional dwellings. The site in Idrija notably features mercury stores and infrastructure, as well as miners’ living quarters, and a miners’ theatre. The sites bear testimony to the intercontinental trade in mercury which generated important exchanges between Europe and America over the centuries. The two sites represent the two largest mercury mines in the world and were operational until recent times.^[1]

Nomination process

Idrija begun the process to inscribe the mercury heritage to the UNESCO's heritage list in 2006.^[2] Initially, the nomination was made together with Huancavelica mercury mine in Peru, in relation to the intercontinental route Camino Real. In the second stage, a nomination focused on mercury heritage in relation to silver mining, together with San Luis Potosí mine in Mexico - however, the nomination did not gather sufficient support. The third, successful stage of the nomination focused on mercury mining in relation to technological and industrial processes that influenced the economical and cultural development of the two regions.^[3]

Interior of the main mine of Almadén

References

World Heritage Sites in Slovenia

See also List of World Heritage Sites in Slovenia.

Cultural	Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps¹ Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija²

Natural	Škocjan Caves

¹ with Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland ² with Spain

World Heritage Sites in Spain

For official site names, see each article or the List of World Heritage Sites in Spain.

North West	Caves of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain¹ Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias Roman Walls of Lugo Route of Santiago de Compostela¹ Santiago de Compostela Tower of Hercules

North East	Caves of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain¹ Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon Pirineos - Monte Perdido² Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin¹ Route of Santiago de Compostela¹ San Millán Yuso and Suso Monasteries Vizcaya Bridge

Community of Madrid	Aranjuez Cultural Landscape El Escorial University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares

Centre	Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida Archaeological Site of Atapuerca Ávila with its Extra-mural Churches Burgos Cathedral Cáceres Cuenca Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija³ Las Médulas Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin¹ Route of Santiago de Compostela¹ Salamanca Santa María de Guadalupe Segovia and its Aqueduct Toledo Prehistoric Rock-Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde⁴

East	Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco, Tarragona Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí Ibiza (Biodiversity and Culture) Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona Palmeral of Elche Poblet Monastery Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin¹ Serra de Tramuntana Silk Exchange in Valencia Works of Antoni Gaudí

South	Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias, Seville Historic Centre of Córdoba Doñana Renaissance Monuments of Úbeda and Baeza Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin¹

Canary Islands	Garajonay San Cristóbal de La Laguna Teide National Park

¹ Shared with other region/s ² Shared with France ³ Shared with Slovenia ⁴ Shared with Portugal

Coordinates: 38°46′31″N 4°50′20″W / 38.77528°N 4.83889°W / 38.77528; -4.83889

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