The fondness of the authorities of our country for decorating road roundabouts is well known. Far from allowing them to exist solely as a traffic regulating element, sculptures, signs, heraldic shields appear in the center of them, which one imagines adorn the town. There are graphic compilations of them in a few places on the internet, usually promoted by urban planners and architects who are extremely critical of the practice.
At the confluence of Almería and Ronda avenues in the town of Macael (Almería), the decoration does not go unnoticed. He reproduces a kitchen mortar with his hand, of course, and it is the largest in the world. It weighs about 40 tons and is made of marble. It is a heartfelt tribute to the most characteristic industry of that town and of the entire Almanzora region. The container has a mouth of more than three meters in diameter. He is registered in the book of records as the champion of the majadores.
In the rearguard of the province of Almeria, some 70 kilometers from the coast, the Almanzora region groups together 19 towns, many of which are linked to the production of marble. In fact, several of the tourist attractions are related to the heritage of the extraction of the beautiful and heavy white stone. A multitude of jobs –industrial and artisanal– have their base in the cold, bewitching rock that is streaked with gray and is the epitome of architectural elegance.
Macael is very famous for its mortars. Chefs all over the world appreciate them not only for their beautiful workmanship, but also for their durability and because – due to their weight – they are very stable and preparations can be crushed without the annoying feeling that the tool moves with each hit. The walk through Macael highlights the importance of marble in the economy and culture of Almanzora. The pavement of some of the streets, the benches, the steps of the stairs, the fences, the little chapels... are built with that rock, which results in a dazzling journey.
The Marble Interpretation Center is an interesting stop to understand the uses, economic and historical importance of such a prized material (c/ García Lorca, 50). Tourists not only receive talks and get to know pieces of all kinds, but thanks to augmented reality and a quick course they can feel what it is like to hold the mallet and chisel. And if they have the ability, even model their own piece, which they will take home as a souvenir.
A very complete activity is to walk the path of the marble. It is a simple excursion that does not reach five kilometers in length, but in which the impressive quarries are visited –cut like a drawing by M. C. Escher, but monochrome–; the roads where loaded wagons left their tracks in the bedrock; or the aesthetic swamps, springs of water that usually occur when this type of stone is removed from the mountain and that become beautiful seasonal mirrors.
The old railway line that evacuated the materials taken from the rock to the coast has become a greenway of almost 22 kilometers that walkers and cyclists now enjoy.
A good part of the municipalities of the Almanzora region of Almería display precious sculptures carved in marble in their streets, as in the case of Chercos, Olula del Río or Partaloa.
