indheritage

Discovering Cartagena

More Articles By Phillip Bruce www.raxomnium.com

Remnants Of Industrial Heritage On Show

Cartagena’s industrial heritage stretches back over the millennia and evidence of this long tradition can be seen in and around the city.

However, it has to be sought out piece by piece and location by location as the concentration of restoration and promotion efforts is still understandably focused on the more easily marketable heritage projects, such as those involving the Romans.

The Alfonso XIII is a long road that cuts right across the northern end of the old city. The dual carriageway is busy with traffic throughout the day and most foreign residents of the area know the street as the place with the Carrefour supermarket at one end and “the big roundabout” at the other. The latter is the Plaza de España and it is close to where the old northern gate in the city walls saw the road leave town on its way to Madrid. The gate and walls in this area were torn down in May, 1902, as a mark of progress.

On the other side of the road to Carrefour, but only a short distance away, are some of the buildings of the Polytechnic University of Cartagena. This is the Campus De Alfonso XIII, home to the School of Agricultural Engineering, the School of Business Science and the School of Naval and Oceanic Engineering. It is also the base for the School of Civil Engineering.

The Civil Engineering School is made up of units which cover public works, especially hydrological studies; technical architecture; mines technology, especially the exploitation of mines; mines technology, especially energy resources, combustibles and explosives, mines technology, especially metallurgy and mineralogy.

There are several items of interest just inside the fence in front of the buildings nearest Carrefour. A large steel beam has been mounted for display by electricity company, Iberdrola. This came from the old San Anton electricity station, in front of the El Coret Ingles store, that has recently seen its exterior splendidly restored and repainted. The beam is about a hundred years old and represented high technology in its time. Near this is a hut that houses marine engines used for teaching.

There is a cart and a section of track from one of the old mines of the area, which would have been pushed by sweating miners from the depths of the Sierra Minera hills which run to the east of the city.

And there is a mini “pithead”, with structure, wheels, winding gear and ropes set amidst a sea of plants. Actually, this is a reproduction on a smaller scale than reality and a plaque somewhere says that it is to commemorate the area’s mining heritage. When last viewed, however, this plaque was concealed somewhere amongst riotous summer greenery.

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