Villamayor Stone (Golden Stone) as a Global Heritage Stone Resource from Salamanca (NW of Spain)

Abstract

Villamayor Stone (VS) is an arkosic stone and is known by several names: (i) VS because the quarries are located in Villamayor de Armuña village (Salamanca, Spain); (ii) Golden Stone due to its patina, which gives the stone a ochreous/golden colour; (iii) Franca Stone is known locally and in historical documents. VS has several varieties ranging from channel to floodplain facies. In this work, we have selected three varieties. VS was quarried and used in the construction of Romanesque monuments such as the Old Cathedral, Gothic monuments including the New Cathedral and the University façade, and Baroque monuments, notably the Main Square. Also, VS was used in the reconstruction of the Roman Bridge (Salamanca, Spain). Currently, VS is quarried by a small number of family businesses, using traditional methods for cladding façades of new buildings. Unfortunately, part of the construction sector went bankrupt in the 2008 crisis. However, VS is still the main stone used in the city of Salamanca for the restoration of monuments, even though used in relatively small quantities in comparison with usage before the economic crisis. It is thus of great importance for future generations that their quarries and the craft of masonry be protected. This work proposes that VS should be designated as a Global Heritage Stone Resource.

Assessing Pathologies on Villamayor Stone (Salamanca, Spain) by Terrestrial Laser Scanner Intensity Data

“…In the lower parts of monuments and columns (base, shaft and capital) other types of Heritage Stones have been used such as silicified conglomerates, Sandstone Salamanca Formation (Tosca Stone); monzogranite, Granite of Los Santos; and Leucogranite with tourmaline of Martinamor (Stone of Vaugnerite) (García-Talegón et al, 2014;López-Plaza et al, 2007a, b).…”

“…The sandstone is known by several names: i) It is known locally and in historical documents as Franca Stone; ii) Villamayor Stone because the quarries are located in Villamayor de Armuña; iii) the Golden Stone due to its patina that produces a ochreous/golden colour on the façades of monuments of Salamanca which are built with this natural stone. Villamayor Stone (Golden Stone) is presented as a candidate to be designated Global Heritage Stone Resource (García-Talegón et al, 2014). Currently, Villamayor Stone is using for cladding of the façades of the new buildings.…”

“…Currently, Villamayor Stone is using for cladding of the façades of the new buildings. Villamayor stone (Golden Stone) has several varieties (García-Talegón et al, 2014): i) Carbonated Variety: the fine-grained stone, microporous, is partially cemented by dolomite, 27% (bulk porosity), ii) Clay and fine Variety: ochre colour, microporous, with smectite with iron oxides, 30% (bulk porosity), is very compact with abundant clay matrix, iii) Medium grained Variety: without cement, low clay matrix and with iron oxides present, 38% (bulk porosity) and macroporous. Main components for all three varieties: Quartz (up to 60%), feldspars, 2:1 layered silicates (smectites), palygorskite-type fibrous silicates, and small amounts of micaceous minerals (illite/mica).…”

“…Golden Stone (García-Talegón et al, 2014) has a particular physic characteristic like its absorption index (about 13.55%). It does that this stone be highly porously and therefore very sensible of the humidity.…”

Estudos de conservação em pedra

“…Em ambas foram utilizadas a Piedra Villamayor, que é um arenito arcoseano, também conhecida como Pedra Dourada devido ao aparecimento de uma pátina com esta cor. Trata-se de uma pátina artificial devido a tratamento químico para homogeneizar a cor da pedra (Garcia-Talegón et al 2015). Na base da Nova Catedral foi usado o Leucogranito com Turmalina Martinamor (Piedra Pajarilla), acima o conglomerado silicificado e sobrejacente a Piedra Villamayor.…”