Puntos de Interés
Municipality
Old Barrio Hospital (mining)
In the early 20th century, what became the most important iron ore mines in the country were around the village of Ojos Negros: those of Sierra Menera. These mines are now entirely abandoned, but all indications are that they were worked from ancient times; the Romans themselves may even have extracted ore in this area.
They operated until the 1980s, when they were closed due to the closure of the Altos Hornos del Mediterráneo.
During its heyday, a series of infrastructures were built to serve the Compañía Minera de Sierra Menera and its workers. This is true of the former hospital. The building still stands; it lent its name to this old neighbourhood, which housed many of the mine’s workers, and some houses are still inhabited today.
A Guardia Civil barracks was also built near this complex with twenty residences; it still stands today. An old washing place was also built in the southern part of the neighbourhood. The area retains traces of its former use and mining operations: in the western part, there are embankments with rubble and dirt tracks giving access to the part where the mining took place are still preserved. Finally, mention ought to be made of sheds that were used to store the heavy machinery the Compañía Minera de Sierra Menera used to remove the iron from the bowels of the Earth.
Returning to the residential area, very near them, you can visit the Barrio de la Relojería and, 800 metres further on, the Barrio del Centro, the largest neighbourhood, which contained the largest number of buildings belonging to the Compañía Minera de Sierra Menera.
The few inhabitants of this neighbourhood hold the Sierra Menera Festivities at the end of the first fortnight of August, in honour of the Assumption of Our Lady, and they share the patron saint festivities in honour of Santa Engracia, in the second fortnight of August.
