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The Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
: ''Instituto Geológico y Minero de España'') is a research institute located in
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
,
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. It is run under the auspices of the Ministry of Science.


History

The origins of the institute go back to the nineteenth century when a commission was established to work on the
geological map A geological map or geologic map is a special-purpose map made to show various geological features. Rock (geology), Rock units or stratum, geologic strata are shown by color or symbols. Bed (geology), Bedding planes and structural features such ...
of Spain. The building which houses the institute is on Ríos Rosas street in the
Chamberí Chamberí is a district of Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population ...
district of Madrid. Next door is the
School of Mining Engineering of Madrid The School of Mining Engineering of Madrid (Spanish: ''Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Minas y Energia'') is located in calle Ríos Rosas, Madrid, Spain. It is one of the engineering schools of the Technical University of Madrid which w ...
, which was built in 1893, whereas the institute building, designed by Francisco Javier de Luque, was formally opened in 1926. The opening took place during the
International Geological Congress The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) is an international non-governmental organization devoted to global cooperation in the field of geology. As of 2023, it represents more than 1 million geoscientists around the world. About Fo ...
which Spain hosted that year. In collaboration with the Spanish Geological Society (''Sociedad Geológica de España'' or SGE), the Institute has drawn up a list of internationally important
geosite Geoheritage (a blend of ''geological'' and ''heritage'') is the geological aspect of natural and cultural heritage. A geosite is a particular geological heritage asset. It is a heritage category comparable to other forms of natural heritage, such ...
s in Spain. This work, which began in 1999, is part of the Global Geosites project promoted by the
International Union of Geological Sciences The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) is an international non-governmental organization devoted to global cooperation in the field of geology. As of 2023, it represents more than 1 million geoscientists around the world. About Fo ...
in the 1990s and subsequently supported by UNESCO.


Museum

Inside the building is a geological museum. It is housed in a large hall with a
stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
roof. It was initially used for the International Geological Congress of 1926. The museum opened the following year. It is currently known as the ''Museo Geominero''.Museum website
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Heritage listing

The building was declared ''
Bien de Interés Cultural (, , , ) is a category of the heritage register in Spain. The term is also used in Colombia and other Spanish-speaking countries. The term literally means a "good of cultural interest" ("goods" in the economic sense). It includes not only mater ...
'' in 1998.


See also

*
School of Mining Engineering of Madrid The School of Mining Engineering of Madrid (Spanish: ''Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Minas y Energia'') is located in calle Ríos Rosas, Madrid, Spain. It is one of the engineering schools of the Technical University of Madrid which w ...


References


External links

{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Ríos Rosas neighborhood, Madrid Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in Madrid Geology of Spain Scientific organisations based in Spain