Parco Minerario Naturalistico di Gavorrano

Gavorrano Natural Mining Park

Useful Information

Location:	Piazzale Livello 240, Pozzo Impero, 58023, Gavorrano GR, Italy. In the valley below the village Gavorrano. At the road to Filare. (42.92103, 10.90657)
Open:	FEB Sun 9:45-13:15, 15:45-19:15. MAR Fri-Sun 9:45-13:15, 15:45-19:15. APR Tue-Sun 9:45-13:15, 15:45-19:15. MAY Tue-Sat 9:45-13:15, 15:45-19:15. JUN to AUG daily 9:45-13:15, 15:45-19:15. SEP Tue-Sun 9:45-13:15, 15:45-19:15. OCT Fri-Sun 9:45-13:15, 15:45-19:15. NOV to DEC Sun, Hol 9:45-13:15, 15:45-19:15. 26-DEC to 31-DEC daily 9:45-13:15, 15:45-19:15. [2010]
Fee:	Adults EUR 10, Children (9-17) EUR 8, Children (0-8) free. Groups (10+): Adults EUR 8, School Children EUR 4. [2022]
Classification:	Iron Mine
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Carlo Alberto Garzonio, Leonardo Piccinini, Alessandro Gargini (2013): Groundwater Modeling of Fractured Aquifers in Mines: The Case Study of Gavorrano (Tuscany, Italy), In: Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, May 2014, Springer. DOI researchgate
Address:	Museo Minerario in Galleria, Piazzale Livello +240, Pozzo Impero, 58023, Gavorrano GR, Tel: +39-0566-843402. Parco Minerario Naturalistico di Gavorrano, Piazza del Minatore, Gavorrano, Tel: +39-0566-846231, Fax: +39-0566-844381. E-mail: Parco Tecnologico e Archeologico delle Colline Metallifere Grossetane, Piazza Dante 35, Grosseto, Tel: +39-0564-484343, Fax: +39-0564-411767. 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

1898	beginning of mining.
1981	mining ended.
2003	mining park inaugurated.
18-DEC-2022	GeoMet Museum opened to the public.

Geology

The mined ore is pyrite (FeS₂). The iron ore reached the surface where it oxidized and became limonite.

Description

photography — Miniera di pirite del Rigoloccio, headframe, Tuscany, Italy. Public Domain.

The area of Mount Calvo (468 m asl) is located in the middle of the Toscana (Tuscany), an area which is called Maremma. Around the village Gavorrano lies a mining field which was mined for almost a century, between 1898 and 1981. It has now been developed for tourism under the name Parco Minerario Naturalistico di Gavorrano (Gavorrano Natural Mining Park). This park includes various open cast mines, outlooks and museums.

The Pozzo di Roma is the main shaft, with its huge iron head frame. It is located in the valley below the town. Most of the iron ores from the mine were lifted to the surface here. It is possible to visit the surface installations but not to enter the mine.

The Museo della Miniera (Mining Museum) is located 250 m east of the head frame in former mining buildings of the Miniera di Gavorrano. This is the place were mining started in 1898, when Francesco Alberti and three other villagers started to mine an outcrop of limonite. They built the first mine tunnel and started the local pyrite mining. At its end in 1981 the mining areas at Rigoloccio, Ravi, and Valmaggiore were connected by a vast system of underground tunnels. The museum is located mostly underground, the tunnel was transformed into a multimedia show depicting the daily work of a miner in the 1960s. This is the reason why it is also called Museo Minerario in Galleria (Mining Museum in the Gallery).

The Centro Documentazione e Ricerca della Miniera (Documentation and Research Center for Mining), the Centro Documentazione "Davide Manni" (Documentation Center "Davide Manni"), the and the Museo Archeologico (Archaeologic Museum) are located in the Castel di Pietra (Castle of the Rock) in the Medieval town Gavorrano. It was named after Davide Manni, the late mayor of the municipality, who was very interested in archaeology and who created the archaeological exhibition.

Ravi Marchi is the area where the pyrite ore from the mine was processed. The open air museum shows the machinery necessary for crushing and processing the ore. The plant was open between 1910 and 1965 and belonged to the family Marchi, a family from northern Tuscany. This is exceptional as all other mining related sites belonged to Montecatini. In its heyday, the plant employed several hundred miners, workers and technicians.

All the sites are now integrated as geotopes into the Parco Nazionale delle Colline Metallifere Grossetane or Tuscan Mining UNESCO Global Geopark. Each of the seven municipalities has one or more Porte del Parco (Gateways to the Park), which arethe Italian version of Reception Centres or Visitor Centers. One of the administrative centers of the park is located near the mining museum, as well as the Museo della Geodiversità e delle Miniere del Parco delle Colline Metallifere which is abbreviated GeoMet.