In the Alcudia Valley lies Almadén, a town linked to mining since ancient times, dyed with the reddish cinnabar of its cave paintings. The Romans opened up this land to extract the precious metal coveted in the empire as a dye, cosmetic or ointment. Since those times and despite the vagaries of exploitation or demand, Almadén has produced a third of the mercury consumed by humanity.
The Almadén Mining Park offers us a trip to the interior of one of the oldest mines in the world. The park is completed with museums, interpretation centres and interesting displays of industrial archaeology. The Old School of Mine Foremen, created in the 18th century for the Study of Subterranean Geometry and Mineralogy. The House of the Superintendence located next to the mine allowed for greater control of it, of Baroque style only the enclosure remains. The San Rafael Miners' Hospital houses the historical archive of the Almadén Mines.