Mines Prehistòriques de Gavà

Parque Arqueológico Minas de Gavà - Can Tintorer Mines

Useful Information

Location:	C. de Jaume I, 7, 08850 Gavà (Barcelona). (41.310008, 2.000278)
Open:	16-JUN to 15-SEP Tue-Sat 10-18:45, Sun, Hol 10-14:30. 16-SEP to 15-JUN Mon-Fri 10-14:30, Sat 10-18:45, Sun, Hol 10-14:30. Closed 01-JAN, 06-JAN, 24-JUN, 25-DEC, 26-DEC. Guided Tour: All year Sat, Sun 12. [2025]
Fee:	Adults EUR 7.50, Children (7-) EUR 4, Children (0-6) free. Guided Tour EUR 3.70. [2025]
Classification:	Stone Age Flint mine Gem Mine Iron Mine Oldest Mines World War II Bunker
Light:	Electric Light
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:	yes
Bibliography:	Josep Bosch (2020): Gavà Mining Site: Fieldwork In: Smith, C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. Springer, Cham. DOI pdf Vanessa Navarrete, Josep Bosch, Maria Saña (2020): Animal husbandry and Neolithic mining: new insights from the variscite mines at Gavà (Barcelona), TRABAJOS DE PREHISTORIA, 77, N.º 2, julio-diciembre 2020, pp. 337-348, ISSN: 0082-5638. academia.edu DOI Antoni Camprubí, Joan-Carles Melgarejo, Joaquín A. Proenza, Fidel Costa, Josep Bosch, Alícia Estrada, Ferran Borell, Nikolai P. Yushkin, Valentin L. Andreichev (2003): Mining and geological knowledge during the Neolithic: a geological study on the variscite mines at Gavà, Catalonia, Episodes, Vol. 26, no. 4, pp 295-301. academia.edu
Address:	Parque Arqueológico Minas de Gavà, Carrer de Jaume I, 7, 08850 Gavà (Baix Llobregat), Tel: +34-93263-9650. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

4000 b.C.	first traces of mining.
1978	Gavà Museum founded.
1996	declared a Cultural Property of National Interest.
2007	Gavà Mines Archaeological Park opened in 2007.
2013	Rambla de Gavà Air Raid Shelter opened to the public.

Description

The Mines Prehistòriques de Gavà are also known as Can Tintorer Mines, named after its location in the municipality of Gavà in the Can Tintorer, Ferreres and Rocabruna areas. The site is managed by the Museu de Gavà (Gavà Museum) and called the Parc Arqueològic Mines de Gavà (Gavà Mines Archaeological Park). The museum was founded in 1978 after the discovery of the mines with the goal to research and restore the historical, archaeological and natural heritage. After decades of archaeological work it opened the Archaeological Park in 2007. This is a prehistoric mine, which means it was mined long ago during the Stone Age. There are nearly no remains of the mining tools of that time, but the Stone Age miners left kilometers of narrow passages. The mines cover an area of 200 ha and there are more than 100 mines.

In this mine a green mineral named variscite was mined during the Neolithic period. It is a green semiprecious gemstone which was used to make body ornaments. During the Iberian, Roman and Medieval periods the mining was revived, but for iron ores.

This mine is said to be the oldest mine in Europe, but according to our list it’s the 5th oldest in Europe, and our list is probably incomplete. This claim on a superlative seems to be marketing babble, nevertheless, the age is quite impressive. Also, they lately refined their claim to the "oldest mines used to mine variscite", which is a no-brainer, as it is the only one. Nonsense has a way to penetrate.

There are actually three sites to visit. The main site is obviously the mine itself, which includes a huge collection center and teaching area. Then there is the Gavà Museum, located in the Torre Lluch, where most of the items are on display which were found in the mines. The most spectacular exhibit is probably the Venus of Gavà, which is a sort of modern art version of the prehistoric venus figurines. Unlike the others it shows no sexual context, the breasts are more or less only hinted, the whole figurine could actually be the work Salvadore Dali.

The museum also has a strange third part, which is located at the entrance to the Gavà train station, where the underpass starts. The Refugi Antiaeri de la Rambla de Gavà (Rambla de Gavà Air Raid Shelter) is a shelter from the time of the Spanish Civil War, which was about at the same time as World War II. It was opened to the public in 2013. The shelter was constructed in 1938 to protect the civilian population of Gavà during air attacks by fascist aviation. The site was rediscovered in 2008 due to works on the Salvador Lluch boulevard. The museum offers tours into the bunker.