VISIT TO THE GEOMINERO MUSEUM OF MADRID

People who know me know that one of my characteristics is how stubborn I am. This sometimes comes in handy. You stick to your convictions, but others, especially when you don’t have a reason, keep you from doing interesting things. The good thing is that, as the saying goes:

“It’s never too late if bliss is good.”

Here you can see the showcases of the main room, in the background you can see the first terrace.

The thing is, I had been recommended several times, and with very good arguments, to go to the Geominero Museum in Madrid, a museum I had never heard of in my life, and you see, as if I hadn’t made up my mind, I would never get caught in the act or there was always something else to see.

But, on my last trip to Madrid, the fairies of the destination came together, everything clicked and, finally, I approached.

The truth is that it’s centrally located, very close to the Castellana, at 23 Ríos Rosas Street and if that wasn’t enough,

IT’S FREE

What a commercial I’ve come up with.

More and more showcases, no matter where you look, you are surrounded by minerals and fossils.

Going back to what I was doing, I finally decided to get closer. I had about two hours left to catch my train and I thought it was a good idea.

And it was!

The museum is located on the 1st floor of the Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, and just to see the building, the stained-glass roof leaves you speechless, it’s worth a visit. Now searching for information on the internet, I have found a review in the Tripadvisor that has made me very funny, but it is a truth like a temple:

“If Spielberg sees it, he would surely use it to shoot some scene… and then it would be impossible to visit it without queuing up a kilometre”.

I couldn’t take a full picture, but you can appreciate the incredible stained-glass roof.

Once you’re inside it’s like traveling back in time, full of showcases and more showcases. You lose your eyes among so many minerals and fossils.

I loved seeing T-Rex, around here, as if nothing had happened!

My friend T-Rex, he look smiling, don’t you?

The collections date back to 1849 and have expanded over the years, but I think that even though there are new pieces, they all take up that old halo, which makes everything magical.

And if all the showcases that fill the room weren’t enough, suddenly you discover that there are spiral staircases that take you to three interior terraces that surround the whole room and where there are, more and more, minerals.

This is one of the spiral staircases that allow you to go up to the upper floors, from where you can see the main room.

At the end I was about an hour and a bit and I had to go to catch the train. I just walked around, I didn’t stop especially anywhere, so when I get a chance, I’ll go again.

Also, after having searched for some information about the museum, I have made a few discoveries. As there is another museum, right next door, Rios Rosas 21, which is the Museo Histórico Minero, and in it we can make a visit to a MINA! So I’m going to put it in the agenda and the next time I’m in Madrid, and I have a couple of hours, I know what I have to do.

This is the precious calcite that the museum has chosen as the mineral of the month.

P.S. The Museum on its website chooses a couple of pieces per month and the ones in November are a calcite from the Balearic Islands and a Pasaloteuthis paxillosus from the Lower Jurassic.

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