Archeology

ARCHAEOLOGY THE ROYAL MINT OF SEGOVIA

The archaeological project that accompanied the rehabilitation of the Mint of Segovia

lasted 3 years (from April 2007 to April 2010) in addition to a prior phase of explorations in 2003.

The archaeological study that was carried

out resulted in the confirmation and correction of data from previous studies, supported mainly by written records. Primarily, however,

its purpose was to document and record all the remains that are preserved and identify them chronologically. During the study, those areas that were affected by the refurbishment of the Mint were excavated. Furthermore, an analysis of the walls of the most important buildings in the architectural complex was carried out with the aim of obtaining a historical and archaeological sequence of the complex in general.

Due to the enormity of the tasks to be accomplished, the archaeological study was included in the rehabilitation project of the Mint, in coordination with the construction plan, adapting to the means available and the timetable to be followed. Similarly, the most significant archaeological remains were integrated into the rehabilitation project.

Photograph 1

Following the chronological sequence, the most important results from an archaeological perspective are presented by means of a linear tour through the Mint:

Between 1583 and 1585, under the direction of the architect Juan de Herrera, the channel and a small (35 m. long) initial Edificio de MĂĄquinas [Machines Building] was built in which all work necessitating hydraulic power was carried out by means of 8 wheels for ironworking, lamination and minting tasks.

In 1587 and 1588, the Ingenio Grande (or Machines Building) was expanded until it reached the current dimensions (more than twice the size of the original), having a total of 10 wheels divided among three rooms: to the east, the blacksmith’s with three wheels for the drill, hammer and bellows; in the centre, the lamination room with 5 rolling machines, and the new annexe to the far west devoted to the minting and cutting of the coins with two minting wheels.

In the northern wall of the building, hollows corresponding to the axes of the wheels and the handles that regulated the flow of water in each have been identified (Photograph 3 exterior and 4 interior), as well as the walkway to the two bridges over the channel. Inside the building, the dividing walls of the rooms and some remains of the cobbled floors (Photograph 5) were registered which, according to records, were covered with wooden flooring.

Also in this reform, the supporting wall that separated the upper and lower courtyards was built with an inner staircase and the building that encloses the lower courtyard on its western side.

In 1590, the medieval flour and paper mill was demolished which had continued to operate since the construction of the first building with 4 wheels on the southeastern side of the Mint.

In its place, the Ingenio Chico [Small Machine] was built, devoted to the minting of gold and silver coins independently from the rest of the copper and vellon coining process. Similarly to the building by Herrera, the only remains from this time that have been identified are related to the hollows for the wheels in the northern wall of the building (Photograph 6).

It was at this point when the space between the Ingenio Grande and the Ingenio Chico was bridged with the construction of two channels to feed the wheels, and of a small service building at the entrance of the channel. The archaeological dig identified a masonry wall that separated the two channels; at the base of each, a wooden flooring (Photograph 7) on long perpendicular sleepers and, in the lower part, a new cobbled floor. There is nothing left of the wooden structure that supplied water to each wheel, i.e., millraces, lock-gates, wheels, etc., elements that would have been on the wooden flooring and that, according to records, were periodically replaced.

To the west of the Ingenio Chico was the building for the Recocho [Heating] and Blaquimiento [Bleaching], processes that were necessary for the heating and cleaning of the moulds before the minting with furnaces, separated from the rest of the buildings.

In the northern part of the complex, in the lower courtyard, the Edificios de Fundiciรณn [Smelting Buildings] and Libranza [where the metal was admitted] had already been standing since 1585. In 1607, following a fire, the architect Francisco de Mora reconstructed them with the current layout. The archaeological dig led to the remains of two old foundry furnaces being recorded, as well as walls corresponding to the different reforms of the buildings (Photograph 8).

In 1628, the headquarters of the old Brotherhood of Santiago was incorporated into the Mint, enclosing the complex to the southwest. The building was devoted to carpentry, making the most of some elements, but destroying structures from medieval times (Photograph 1), which were from the Romanesque churches of Santiago and San Gil, located to the east and west, respectively, these being totally dismantled at the beginning of the 18th century.

Since its construction, the Mint of Segovia has been conceived of as an enclosed complex with boundary buildings that isolate it from the exterior, complete with a garden on the western side. The excavation in this sector was partial, with the sole aim of defining the restoration project. Only cobbled floors and two phases of construction in the main elements were registered, these being the fishing pavilion (Photograph 9) and two corridors. An exploration was also carried out in order to extract a pollen column which, after analysis, determined the presence of ancient species that can be incorporated into the design of the garden (Photograph 10).

Photograph 2

Until the 18th century, the minting process was similar to the one used in times of Philip II although with frequent repairs to the facilities. In 1771, the Mint underwent a reform allowing the change to flywheel minting, a system that had already been used in other Mints in the country. The construction work was directed by the architect Francisco Sabatini between 1771 and 1772 and involved the remodelation of the main rooms: - In the Ingenio Chico, out of use since 1730, the hydraulic wheels were dismantled in order to use it as room of Yleras, new openings were made and a new slab floor was laid (Photograph 11). On the western side, the building was expanded with a room (Tesorillo [small treasury]) and a small courtyard.

- The Recocho and Blanquimiento building was kept to the west of the previously mentioned extension.

Photograph 4

Photograph 5

Photograph 3

Photograph 6

- In the channel, an elevated granite millrace was built to direct the flow of water to the rolling mills that were kept in the building

by Herrera. To that end, the former central wall was destroyed and the old wooden bridges were replaced by others made of granite and brick masonry (Photograph 12) and the remainder of the courtyard was filled in with rubble that has provided an abundance of archaeological material.

- In the Ingenio Grande the ironworking and minting wheels were removed, keeping the 4 rolling drills in the central part together with all the wooden elements, both in the channel and inside the building. In the place of the blacksmith’s, three flywheels were installed for minting (Photograph 13) and an adjacent room or treasury, all with granite flooring. In the minting and cutting rooms, slabs were also laid (Photograph 14), in this case with markings on the surface from the work tables and machines that were fixed to the floor (Photograph 15). At the far west end, a forge is located from which a smokestack and the beginning of a vaulted roof are preserved.

Photograph 7

In order to solve, at least partially, problems with damp under paved floors, a brick drain was constructed running all over the building breaking the old paved surface (Photograph 5).

Photograph 8

Photograph 10

- In 1772, the new flywheel building was built on the east side of the complex due to the problems with damp in the building

by Herrera. During the study, the layout of the inside and the bottom of the four flywheels that were used for minting until 1868 were documented (Photograph 6).

- In the upper courtyard, in the Fundiciรณn and Libranza buildings, the analysis of the walls indicates the modification of the space and the construction of the Fundiciรณn room as it is currently preserved, i.e. with a double-shell vault and two smokestacks.

Photograph 9

Photograph 11

Photograph 13

Photograph 12

Photograph 14

In 1866, the final change to the minting system took place with the replacement of the flywheels with automatic presses. This involved the deinstallation of the last hydraulic wheels to install a turbine in the channel and five machines inside (Thonnelier Presses) on granite supports upon a ceramic-tiled floor (Photograph 17). In the rest of the complex, there were hardly any significant changes, despite the fact that the facilities used for metal work (the foundry and the forges) were not necessary as the blanks were imported from France already prepared for minting. This period only lasted for 2 years, until the closure of the Mint in 1868.

Photograph 16

Photograph 15

Photograph 17

Photograph 18

After a period of abandonment, from 1879 onwards, the Mint was transformed into a flour mill. The consecutive owners carried out reforms that primarily affected the original building by Juan de Herrera and the channel. Due to their impact, the reforms of 1879 stand out because it was then when a mill was constructed over the channel; in 1907 an industrial smokestack was built in the courtyard with a combustion chamber inside the Machines Building; and in 1952 a new turbine was installed. At the same time that there was an increase in the use of the channel, a new upper section was built above the central part of the machines building (Photograph 18).

copyright @ text and photographs: GROMA, Estudio de ArqueologĂ­a y Patrimonio

ROYAL MINT OF SEGOVIA C/ DE LA MONEDA S/N 40003 - SEGOVIA Tel. 921 475 109 www.casamonedasegovia.com casademoneda@turismodesegovia.com