Belmez, Córdoba

Not to be confused with Bélmez de la Moraleda.

Belmez
city
View of Belmez
Seal
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Andalusia
Province	Córdoba
Area
• Total	207 km2 (80 sq mi)
Elevation	532 m (1,745 ft)
Population  (2018)
• Total	2,964
• Density	14/km2 (37/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Website	https://belmez.es/

Belmez is a village and municipality with 2964 (2018) inhabitants in Córdoba, Andalucia, Spain.

Belmez is known for its old coal mines, which were in operation for many years and were the main source of income for the village. For this reason, the Practical School for Miners was founded in 1924. It has now become a polytechnic school training civil engineers, energy resource engineers, and mining engineers.

History

The settlement emerged after the Reconquista around an existing castle on a hill. It formed an administrative unit with the neighboring Fuente Obejuna until 1250, after which it was divided.

Since the mid-19th century, mining has been the main economic driver of Belmez. Companies such as the "Sociedad Hullera y Metalúrgica de Belmez" established themselves in the area to exploit the surrounding deposits. The latter's activities were overshadowed by the Sociedad Minera y Metalúrgica de Peñarroya (SMMP), which had become the dominant company by the end of the 19th century.

See also

• List of municipalities in Córdoba

Bibliography

• García Parody, Manuel Ángel (2009). El Germinal del sur: conflictos mineros en el Alto Guadiato, 1881-1936 (in Spanish). Seville: Centro de Estudios Andaluces.