Visita al yacimiento arqueológico de Macael Viejo

Discover Macael, the Land of Marble. Used since the Chalcolithic, it has lent its beauty to many of the most famous Spanish monuments throughout history, such as the Alhambra, the Palacio del Escorial or the Royal Palace.

Until the 16th century, the population of Macael settled on the impregnable Cerro de "Macael Viejo", located in the middle of the quarry exploitation area, from where they were exploited in Roman and Islamic times.We will travel a spectacular path of only 1.7 kms. that recovers the old access road, visiting historical quarries and the archaeological site located in the place where, in other times, the workers settled and in which currently, they are carrying out excavation work that is revealing remains from different periods, although the remains of a Roman villa and a cistern stand out From the Nasrid period, this place was inhabited until the conquest of the Kings Catholics.

You can see the intricate path that leads to the top of the grinding wheel where the settlement was located and which clearly had a defensive purpose.We will continue the visit at the Marble Interpretation Center where we will learn about the history, tradition, innovation and the future of the marble culture in Macael.

We will find interpretive panels, audiovisual resources and exhibitions of different pieces and elements to understand this culture in an attractive and participatory way. Here we will enjoy a multi-sensory experience “From extraction to exhibition”: We will experience first-hand the entire marble extraction and production process: blasting, starting blocks, transporting, cutting and carving, water and vibrations. Video length: 6 and a half minutes.Carving and Mosaic. Practice: In a room recreated as an old craft workshop, under the guidance of a monitor, we will carve an Almeria motif in marble that we will take with us to stick in our refrigerator as a souvenir.

In the same way, we will make a mosaic of Hispano-Muslim or Roman motifs with marble tesserae of the colors present in the Sierra de Macael.

Duration: 30 minutes.

Includes: Marble magnet carved by you.

Possibility of buying the Mosaic

Duration: 3.5h approx.