ALMADÉN EN LA EDAD MODERNA. SU TRANSFORMACIÓN URBANÍSTICA DE VILLAZGO A VILLA.

Until very recently, efforts to preserve industrial heritage in Spain have been almost non-existent. Only in the last few years the appreciation of the historical and cultural value of buildings, machines, and tools, which are the tangible memory of the world of labour. In the case of Almadén, the mining and metallurgical heritage, which is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 2012, is paired by an urban heritage that undoubtedly deserves to be saved for posterity. The aim of this article is to analyse the changes that Almadén underwent in the second half of the 18th century. During this period, the original hamlet was transformed into the most important mining town in Spain. To this end, the article draws on an exhaustive bibliographic review of works on the history and heritage of Almadén, as well as on research on extant sources from the period, including manuscripts, plans, and drawings, preserved in national archives. Also, different sites in the town have been studied in detail, and images of them have been obtained. The study provides a better appreciation of the effort undertaken in during the Age of Enlightenment to turn Almadén not only into a vital resource for the development of silver mining in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, but also into a modern town where miners and their families could lead a decent life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]