Modificación territorial producida por la explotaciones mineras canteras de granito a cielo abierto en la comarca de la Serena, Badajoz, desde el año 1956.

Abstract

Abstract Exploitation of granite in the La Serena region (Badajoz, Spain) have significantly influenced the urban planning, architectural style, population and landscape of the affected areas. Most of the granite quarries are in the municipal district of Quintana de la Serena where a massive granite batholith (Batolito de los Pedroches) crops up on the surface. This thesis analyzes four important points: First, the location and extension of the granite quarries from 1956 (the year of the first existing aerial photographs) to present. Second, the emergence of new ecosystems and wetlands in the quarried lands, which were previously arid and scarce of water. Third, how granite quarries have influenced the urban growth of Quintana de la Serena since 1956. And finally, the presence of granite as building material in the towns of the La Serena region, where the use of granite in the jambs (pillars), thresholds, lintels of doors and windows, etc. creates its own architectural style.