Red
The Romans liked bright colors, and many Roman villas were decorated with vivid red murals. The pigment used for many of the murals was called vermilion, and it came from the mineral cinnabar, a common ore of mercury. It was one of the finest reds of ancient times - the paintings have retained their brightness for more than twenty centuries. The source of cinnabar for the Romans was a group of mines near Almaden, southwest of Madrid, in Spain. Working in the mines was extremely dangerous, since mercury is highly toxic; the miners were slaves or prisoners, and being sent to the cinnabar mines was a virtual death sentence.
What mines did Romans use to acquire cinnabar?
Almaden, southwest of Madrid, in Spain
The source of cinnabar for the Romans was a group of mines near Almaden, southwest of Madrid, in Spain.
cinnabar