Nomination of Zarzalejo Granite, a Spanish Heritage Building Stone, as a “Global Heritage Stone Resource”

As a stone with excellent petrophysical properties and proven durability, granite from Zarzalejo, Spain, is particularly suitable for construction. Its high quality and use over the centuries to build monuments such as the Monastery of El Escorial, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, make it an ideal candidate for designation as a Global Heritage Stone Resource. That distinction would have a very favourable impact on the economy of a region where quarrying has long been a traditional way of life. This granite is quarried in the Spanish Central Range and marketed around the world today as “Blanco Rafaela”.