Subterranean gallery at Doctor Gumersindo Márquez Street
The story of this subway gallery is linked to the history of the Galaroza silver mine.
In November 1984, a hole was opened in Doctor Gumersindo Márquez Street, revealing a tunnel that no one knew about. It quickly aroused the interest of all the Cachoneros, and theories began to circulate, such as that it could be the Inquisition’s jails or where the Templars had hidden a treasure.
Eventually it was thought that it might be an old mine tunnel, but in fact it was only a sewer that was possibly built when the mine site was acquired by Maria Theresa Herbert de Powis.
History of the Galaroza mines
The first news we have about the Galaroza mines date back to 1557, when “a hill of much metal” was discovered. The mines were worked for the following years and in 1591 were left free for private operation.
In the 17th century, Juan Jacome Holzafel and Juan Cristobal Eberlin, after extracting large quantities of silver, abandoned the mines. At the end of the same century, Juan Nieto de Valcárcel tried to develop it again, but when little mineral was extracted, he abandoned the project.
In 1719 Nicolas Vaillant and in 1725 Liberto Wolters also tried to operate it without success. In 1742 Maria Teresa Herbert de Powis was granted “license and power to drain and put in the current production and work the mines of Guadalcanal, Rio Tinto, Cazalla, Aracena and Galaroza.”
It was through Mrs. Powis that the mine possibly came into operation due to the fact that potential tunnels typical of this type of operation were found in different parts of the town. The local researcher, Rodríguez Beneyto, has an inventory from 1840 of the equipment that was put up for sale, which meant the permanent closure of the mine.
There is documentary evidence of other mining operations in Galaroza. It is worth mentioning the existence of a file from 1859 of a mining concession called “Tercera Pertenencia,” registered in the name of the Sociedad Estrella Oriental, for the extraction of silver chloride.
Concluding this tour through the mining history of Galaroza, we must mention the Reprise mine (1910) registered by Camilo Perreau Ghineau, which was located in the hamlet of Las Chinas. It was leased by Hidro Nitro Española in 1959 and was in operation until 1961, when production was stopped.
The story of this subway gallery is linked to the history of the Galaroza silver mine.
In November 1984, a hole was opened in Doctor Gumersindo Márquez Street, revealing a tunnel that no one knew about. It quickly aroused the interest of all the Cachoneros, and theories began to circulate, such as that it could be the Inquisition’s jails or where the Templars had hidden a treasure.
Eventually it was thought that it might be an old mine tunnel, but in fact it was only a sewer that was possibly built when the mine site was acquired by Maria Theresa Herbert de Powis.
History of the Galaroza mines
The first news we have about the Galaroza mines date back to 1557, when “a hill of much metal” was discovered. The mines were worked for the following years and in 1591 were left free for private operation.
In the 17th century, Juan Jacome Holzafel and Juan Cristobal Eberlin, after extracting large quantities of silver, abandoned the mines. At the end of the same century, Juan Nieto de Valcárcel tried to develop it again, but when little mineral was extracted, he abandoned the project.
In 1719 Nicolas Vaillant and in 1725 Liberto Wolters also tried to operate it without success. In 1742 Maria Teresa Herbert de Powis was granted “license and power to drain and put in the current production and work the mines of Guadalcanal, Rio Tinto, Cazalla, Aracena and Galaroza.”
It was through Mrs. Powis that the mine possibly came into operation due to the fact that potential tunnels typical of this type of operation were found in different parts of the town. The local researcher, Rodríguez Beneyto, has an inventory from 1840 of the equipment that was put up for sale, which meant the permanent closure of the mine.
There is documentary evidence of other mining operations in Galaroza. It is worth mentioning the existence of a file from 1859 of a mining concession called “Tercera Pertenencia,” registered in the name of the Sociedad Estrella Oriental, for the extraction of silver chloride.
Concluding this tour through the mining history of Galaroza, we must mention the Reprise mine (1910) registered by Camilo Perreau Ghineau, which was located in the hamlet of Las Chinas. It was leased by Hidro Nitro Española in 1959 and was in operation until 1961, when production was stopped.
