Suitable Re-Use of Abandoned Quarries for Restoration and Conservation of the Old City of Salamanca—World Heritage Site

Abandoned granite quarries near the Old City of Salamanca hold potential for supplying high-quality stone blocks for monument restoration. Research reveals that Martinamor granite outcrops exhibit a dense fracturing pattern with joint spacing less than one meter, making large-scale exploitation impractical. Instead, only small blocks suitable for heritage conservation can be extracted, necessitating the protection of these sites to preserve both historical extraction techniques and geological significance. The study proposes geoconservation strategies to safeguard quarries, ancient mining areas, and their role as a reminder of society's reliance on geological materials.

Sousa, L., Lourenço, J., & Pereira, D. (2019). Suitable Re-Use of Abandoned Quarries for Restoration and Conservation of the Old City of Salamanca—World Heritage Site. Sustainability, 11(16), 4352. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11164352