Miniera d'Oro di Brusson

Miniera d'Oro Chamousira Brusson - Miniera d'Oro Chamousira Fenilliaz

Useful Information

Location:	Start at Documentation Center (Loc. Laghetto). From Brusson take the road to Estoul, after 4 km pedestrian access to mine is signposted. 15 min walk. (45.754233, 7.744097)
Open:
Fee:	Adults EUR 8, Children (6-15) EUR 5, Children (0-5) free, Disabled free. Groups (+): Adults EUR , Children (5-15) EUR . [2020]
Classification:	Gold Mine
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:	L=1,600 m, A=1,550 m asl.
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:	G. Maletto, E. Bittarello, M. E. Ciriotti, G. C. Piccoli, P. Brizio, P. Castello, G. Cesti, M. Moroni (2016): La miniera d'oro di Chamousira (Ciamusera), Brusson, Val d'Ayas, Valle d'Aosta Micro 14 (3): 98-151. I. Campostrini, F. Demartin, A. Guastoni (1997): Schöne Goldstufen von Brusson, Val d'Ayas, Italien Lapis 22 (12): 13-xx.
Address:	Miniera d'Oro di Brusson, THE CHAMOUSIRA FENILLIAZ MINE, Loc Vollon 59, 11022 Brusson (AO), Mobile: +39-344-2934564, Mobile: +39-349-2968654. 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

1899	gold discovered, mining permit obtained by Swiss Société des Mines de l'Evançon.
1900	mine opened.
1903	operated by the British Evançon Gold Mining Company Limited.
1906	operated by the Rivetti family.
1911	landslide destroys external systems, mine closed.
1937	knight Rivetti reopens the mine.
1949	mine closed.
1953	with the death of Rivetti the permit ceases and a new permit is issued to Filippa Agostino who reopens the mine.
1983	mine finally abandoned.
2013-2015	surface trails constructed which lead to the mine.
2017	mine tour opened to the public.

Geology

The gold is found in quartz veins mixed with sulphides, hosted by gneiss and metamorphic calcschists. This is a typical orogenic gold deposit with low salinity. The total production of the mine was 4 tons of gold. The mine is very rich in minerals and was quite popular with mineral collectors while it was abandoned.

There are two veins which run inclined by about 45° through the mountain, named Fenillaz and Speranza. The mine accessed this two veins with two tunnels on each level.

Description

The Miniera d'Oro di Brusson (gold mine of Brusson) is located on top of a cliff face above the town Brusson in the Aosta valley. The mine has various names, all derived from the geographic features in the surroundings: Brusson is a town to the west, Fenilliaz is a hamlet to the east, and Monte di Chamousira (1756 m asl) is the hill above the mine. The mine has seven levels, between 1532 m asl and 1,717 m asl, the show mine is in level 7, the lowest level at 1,550 m als. There is also a small museum named Museo della Miniera di Chamousira (Chamousira Mine Museum) on the site where once the cableway for the transport of the ore was located. Some historic photographs and maps of the mine can be seen in the Centro di documentazione Joseph Herbet (Joseph Herbet Documentation Center) in Brusson, near the lake.

The Chamousira Mining Park recovery project which reopened the mine for the public was financed by the EU. The first results were the documentation center at Brusson in 2015 and the museum and ticket office which were completed in 2018. The mines seems to be open since 2017 but their homepage is still under construction in 2020. It is obviously possible to wlak the trail and see the mine openings and there are explanatory platzes. But for a tour into the mining tunnels and a visit to the museum you should first check the open hours by telephone or at the documentation center. They are not published so far.