The quarry of Talamanca or Sant Esteve is in the interfluve between the Talamanca and Mura streams, facing to the stream of Talamanca just before it joins that of Mura in Sant Esteve de Vila-Rasa, in the municipality of Talamanca. The quarry can be reached through a paved path that starts at km. 31.8 of the road BV-1221 between Navarcles and Talamanca.
The quarry of Talamanca is amongst the largest ones in the district of Bages. The mining front is a huge cut in the slope that currently spans 820 linear metres and it has a noticeable height. Despite this, its low position in the entangled relief that the two afore mentioned streams have dig up in a sparsely populated area makes it relatively unnoticed, with smaller impact on the landscape than expected from a big quarry in exploitation.
Canteras Valsan SA is the operating company. Canteras Valsan SA removes large rectangular blocks of light-coloured sandstone of marine origin, then these sandstone blocks are cut at its main facilities in the industrial area of Les Vives, in Sant Vicenç de Castellet. The stone from Talamanca is exported worldwide for building purposes.
A really negative point from the quarry of Talamanca is that it hinders the desirable expansion of the Natural Park of Sant Llorenç del Munt i L’Obac to the northwest to fully scope and protect the streams of Talamanca and Mura until the riverside of Llobregat.
[photo Jordi Badia]