Museo de la Siderurgia y la Minería de Castilla y León

Useful Information

Location:	Plaza de San Blas, 1, 24810 Sabero. (42.83825, -5.15384)
Open:	APR to SEP Tue-Sat 10-14, 17-20, Sun, Hol 10-14, 16:30-19:30. OCT to MAR Tue-Sat 10-14, 17-19, Sun, Hol 10-14, 16:30-19:30. Closed 01-JAN, 25-DEC, 31-DEC. [2023]
Fee:	Adults EUR 2, Children (8-18) EUR 1, Children (0-7) free, Students EUR 1, Families EUR 1, Disabled free. Groups (8+): Adults EUR 1. [2023]
Classification:	Mining Museum
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	yes
Bibliography:
Address:	Museo de la Siderurgia y la Minería, Plaza de San Blas, 1, 24810 Sabero, León, Castilla y León, Tel: +34-987-718-357. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1846	San Blas Ironworks built.
1866	San Blas Ironworks closed.

Description

The Museo siderurgia y minería de Castilla y León (Steel and Mining Museum of Castilla y León) is located in the buildings of the former San Blas Ironworks. The huge buildings resemble churches, with the roof supported by a succession of diaphragm arches. Like a church, it has three naves, the central one being the highest and widest. This building was started in 1846 on the initiative of the Palentino–Leonesa de Minas Society. The building housed the first steam engines in the province. They powered machinery like cylinders and rolling mills, pile hammers and shears, which were imported from Great Britain. Today all the machinery is gone, and the huge halls are used by the mining museum.

The valley was already inhabited during prehistory, Celtic forts from the 5th centuries BC were excavated. The Romans World influenced the locals, and the area was inhabited during the Middle Ages. Finally, in the early 19th century, mining started in the area. Miguel Iglesias Botias from Palencia obtained the concession of three coal mines (Sabero, 1, 2 and 5) around 1841. He established the Sociedad Palentina de Minas (Palentina Mines Society) for the exploitation of coal mines. In 1845, he needed more money to increase the efficiency, and the company was expanded and changed its name to Palentina-Leonesa de Minas. The Madrid capitalist Santiago Alonso Cordero and his friend Casiano de Prado, an important figure in 19th century Spanish culture, invested in the company. In 1847 the first coke blast furnace was opened and iron was manufactured. In 1860 the second one was inaugurated. But only two years later, in 1862, the San Blas factory was closed, and subsequently the coal and iron mines.