Red Ere&#241;o and Cantera Gorria: Natural and Cultural Geoheritage&#160;(Basque Country, Spain)
Authors: Damas Mollá Laura , Aranburu Arantza , Jesus Ángel Uriarte , Zabaleta Ane , Morales Tomás , Antigüedad Iñaki 
Published: March 2021

&lt;p&gt;Construction and ornamental stones are important elements of cultural heritage and identity and shape the urban landscape of the territories (Pereira &amp; C&amp;#225;rdenes Van den Eynde, 2019). These stones and their &lt;strong&gt;quarries&lt;/strong&gt; are a part of &lt;strong&gt;geoheritage&lt;/strong&gt; that is gaining interest in the tourism industry (Mateos &lt;em&gt;et al.&lt;/em&gt;, 2011). &lt;strong&gt;Red Ere&amp;#241;o&lt;/strong&gt; is an urgonian limestone (Lower Cretaceous) with abundant rudist fossil shells, which white colours highlight on an intense red micritic matrix. This stone is exploited since Roman times in the north of the Iberian Peninsula (Basque Country, Spain). This lithology is found in many buildings, both heritage and common. Its uniqueness has contributed to its expansion worldwide and, it can be found in such emblematic places as the Colon Theatre in Buenos Aires (Argentina) or St Peter&amp;#180;s basilica in the Vatican (Italy) (Damas Moll&amp;#225; &lt;em&gt;et al&lt;/em&gt;., 2021).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The main quarry related to Red Ere&amp;#241;o is called &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Cantera Gorria &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;(meaning Red Quarry) and is located inside the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve (x: 529,659.29 m; y: 4,800,839.60 m; z: 15 m). It is included in the Geosites Inventory of the Basque Country (LIG n&amp;#186; 15), and is part of the historical heritage of the Biscay province. The last concessionaire of the quarry was &lt;em&gt;Marmoler&amp;#237;a Bilba&amp;#237;na &lt;/em&gt;and it ceased its activity in 1968. At present the quarry is abandoned.&amp;#160; Nevertheless, on its exploitation fronts outstanding &lt;strong&gt;geologic features&lt;/strong&gt; are recognised: &lt;strong&gt;stratigraphic&lt;/strong&gt; (bioconstructions, facies changes), &lt;strong&gt;petrologic&lt;/strong&gt; (diagenesis, mineralisations), &lt;strong&gt;tectonic&lt;/strong&gt; (succession verticality, faults) or &lt;strong&gt;geomorphologic&lt;/strong&gt; (karst). All of them make &lt;em&gt;Cantera Gorria&lt;/em&gt; a point of reference for both &lt;strong&gt;research&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;teaching&lt;/strong&gt; activities. Additionally, it is important to underline the richness related to the &lt;strong&gt;mining heritage&lt;/strong&gt; itself. Numerous buildings from the mining activity are still preserved. Also noteworthy are the signs engraved on the rock showing the progress of exploitation in various stages, from manual to the use of helical steel wire.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the case of Red Ere&amp;#241;o and &lt;em&gt;Cantera Gorria &lt;/em&gt;the &lt;strong&gt;symbiosis&lt;/strong&gt; between &lt;strong&gt;geoheritage &lt;/strong&gt;and &lt;strong&gt;cultural heritage&lt;/strong&gt; is significant. This symbiosis, together with all the above mentioned characteristics of the quarry makes &lt;em&gt;Cantera Gorria&lt;/em&gt; an interesting space for &lt;strong&gt;dissemination&lt;/strong&gt; of geoheritage as well as for &lt;strong&gt;tourism&lt;/strong&gt; (Damas Moll&amp;#225;, 2011).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;References&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Damas Moll&amp;#225;, L. (2011): Las Calizas rojas de Ere&amp;#241;o: facies, paleoambiente, mineralizaci&amp;#243;n y diag&amp;#233;nesis. Patrimonio geol&amp;#243;gico-hist&amp;#243;rico de Bizkaia. PhD Thesis, University of the Basque Country.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Damas Moll&amp;#225; L., Uriarte J.A., Zabaleta A., Aranburu A., Garc&amp;#237;a Garmilla F., Sagarna M, Bodego A., Clemente J.A., Morales T. &amp; Antig&amp;#252;edad I. (2021). Red Ere&amp;#241;o: an ornamental and construction limestone of international significance from Basque Country (northern Spain). Geoheritage 13:2. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-020-00529-5&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mateos R.M, Dur&amp;#225;n, J.R &amp; Robledo P.A. (2011). Mar&amp;#232;s Quarries on the Majorcan Coast (Spain) as Geological Heritage Sites. Geoheritage 3: 41-54. http://doi.org/10.1007/sl12371-010-0026-5&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pereira D. &amp; C&amp;#225;rdenes Van den Eynde V. (2019). Heritage Stones and Geoheritage. Geoheritage 11: 1-2. http://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-019-00350-9&lt;/li&gt;
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