La roca ornamental europea y su vinculación al patrimonio arquitectónicoel proyecto Eurolithos

Resum

Europe is one of the world’s leading ornamental stone producers, quarrying a great diversity of stone resources. However, the actual use of local and regional stone resources in Europe is decreasing, and so is the knowledge of the resour- ces, traditions and skills. Ornamental stone has contributed significantly in shaping european rural and urban landscapes, through its use in the built heritage from different historical periods. In this context, the European project Eurolithos is fra- med, whose final objective are focused on combining information on the different varieties of ornamental stones quarried in Europe, and linking to each case their use in architectural heritage. EuroLithos is founded on the idea that increased knowle- dge of the geology, quality and history of use of natural stone in Europe will stimulate both more sustainable use of stone resources in Europe for the benefit of enterprises and cultural heritage, and a sound land use management for the safeguar- ding of ornamental stone deposits. EuroLithos also addresses cultural heritage and building preservation aspects, since the maintenance of European heritage and a living stone industry are mutually dependent. EuroLithos results in an ornamental stone knowledge base under the umbrella of EGDI (European Geological Data Infrastructure), covering harmonised spatial data on European stone resources, and a directory of ornamental stone properties. The EuroLithos consortium is composed of 16 partners from 14 countries, collectively forming a strong and innovative research group.