Las Médulas Foundation
Landscape and Heritage
The Las Médulas Foundation works to ensure that the Cultural and Natural Space of Las Medulas is a source of economic opportunities for local communities while at the same time maintaining its integrity for the enjoyment of present and future generations.
Las Médulas Foundation
The Las Médulas Foundation is a non-profit organisation created in 1999 with the aim of promoting and carrying out research projects, guaranteeing the conservation and disseminating the heritage of the Cultural and Natural Space of Las Medulas.
The procedures for the recognition and protection of the Cultural and Natural Space of Las Medulas began in 2002, when it was declared a Natural Monument and, therefore, included in the network of Protected Areas of Castilla y León. In 2005, Las Médulas extended its declaration as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC in Spanish), which is a legal construct that protects Spanish historical heritage, assigning it the category of Archaeological Zone, a distinction it has held since 1996. And in 2010, the Castilla y León Regional Government declared the Las Médulas Asset of Cultural Interest as a Cultural Space.
The Plan for the Adaptation and Use of Space sets out the guidelines and framework for actions related to conservation, maintenance, and usage measures, by which the various public administrations with jurisdiction over this territory are governed.
The Action Plans serve as a tool for achieving the Las Médulas Foundation’s strategic objectives. The 2023-2025 Action Plan is currently in force, which aims to promote continuous improvement in terms of research and knowledge regarding the heritage asset so that it may be better understood and shared internationally. The advantage of this is two-fold; on the one hand the Cultural and Natural Space of Las Medulas gains exposure, while at the same time generating recognition and added value for society as a whole.
The Action Plan aims to guarantee the protection and conservation of Las Médulas, integral to the ongoing efforts of research, education, and proper use. Furthermore, the plan’s development aims to coordinate the Cultural and Natural Space of Las Médulas as a resilient territory, both economically and socially, while actively contributing to sustainable social and environmental development. This effort is a proactive commitment to the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The extractive human intervention in the landscape meant that, after the demolitions, small valleys, gullies, lagoons, etc. began to form. They were the result of subsequent mining works such as moving the gold-bearing conglomerate, separating coarse pebbles or boulders, sluicing in channels to extract the gold, and the final removal of tailings from the mining installations. These materials piled up and closed off valleys, creating exceptional sites such as Lake Carucedo, a wetland unintentionally created by the Romans, but which today is one of the natural treasures of Las Médulas
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