The Royal Mercury Trail

Since the mid-16th century, the final destination of almost all the mercury or quicksilver produced in Almadén (Ciudad Real) was the American silver mines, especially those in New Spain (Mexico). There it was used for what is called the amalgamation process, a rudimentary but effective procedure for obtaining extremely pure silver in smelting furnaces. 

The three roads used to transport it to the port of Seville, two for carts and one for mules, had a common section between Almadén and Azuaga, a town located in Extremadura about 150 kilometres to the southwest of Almadén. Three itineraries began in this town, two of them suitable for carts and the third only for horses or mules, which crossed Sierra Morena and the Guadalquivir, and ended at the Royal Shipyards in Seville. This is where the mercury was repacked so that it would not spill during the Atlantic crossing and it was loaded onto the galleons belonging to the Indies Fleet. 

Each year in spring, the Mercury Trail bustled with people, animals and carts, which on their way back took advantage to transport the necessary goods for the mine, but also for the towns they passed through (spices, groceries, wood, etc.). All this meant a source of trade and prosperity for the entire territory through which it passed, and eventually left us with an extraordinary heritage. Today, this grandiose natural and cultural setting is an inspiration for the imagination of travellers, not to be missed! 

If you wish to follow the entire route you should bear in mind that between the mines in Almadén and the shipyards in Seville, a small part of the link between the "common route" and the variants passes through Extremadura. In the case of the Camino Arriero and Camino Carretero Oriental, through La Granja de Torrehermosa and Azuaga; and on the Camino Arriero Occidental, in addition to passing through the two previous towns, it also passes through the town of Monesterio where it connects with El Real de la Jara, now in the province of Seville.