Miniera Montevecchio


Useful Information

Location: From Cagliari SS131 Carlo Felice (E25) north, exit Sanluri. Take SS197 west, San Gavino Monreale, to Guspini. Via Guglielmo Marconi SPN66 to Montevecchio. Start at the infopoint opposite the Palazzina della Gestione, the management offices of the mining company.
Open: JAN to MAR Sun 10.
APR to JUN Sat 10, Sun, Hol 10, 15:30.
JUL to AUG daily 10, 15.30.
SEP Sat 10, Sun, Hol 10, 15:30.
OCT to DEC Sun, Hol 10.
[2020]
Fee: Underground tour: Adults EUR 12, Children (7-12) EUR 8, Children (0-6) free, Seniors EUR 8, Disabled not allowed.
Groups (20+): Adults EUR 8.
Surface tours: One tour: Adults EUR 5, Children (7-12) EUR 3.50, Children (0-6) free, Seniors EUR 3.50, Disabled free.
Groups (20+): Adults EUR 3.50.
Two tours: Adults EUR 9, Children (7-12) EUR 6, Children (0-6) free, Seniors EUR 6, Disabled free.
Groups (20+): Adults EUR 9.
Three tours: Adults EUR 12, Children (7-12) EUR 8, Children (0-6) free, Seniors EUR 8, Disabled free.
Groups (20+): Adults EUR 8.
Four tours: Adults EUR 14, Children (7-12) EUR 9.50, Children (0-6) free, Seniors EUR 9.50, Disabled free.
Groups (20+): Adults EUR 9.50.
[2020]
Classification: MineLead Mine MineZinc Mine
Light: helmets with headlamps provided.
Dimension:
Guided tours: Palazzina della Gestione: D=1 h.
Officine: D=45 min.
Piccalinna: D=45 min.
Sant'Antonio: D=45 min.
Anglosarda: D=1 h.
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: surface tours accessible, underground tour not accessible.
Bibliography:
Address: Miniera di Montevecchio, Piazzale Rolandi, 09030 Guspini SU, Tel: +39-3384592082, Mobile: +39-389-1643692, Tel: +39-07097-3173. E-mail:
Museo dei Diorami sulla storia mineraria (Collezione Dellacà), Pozzo Amsicora, Miniera di Ingurtosu, SP66, 09031 Arbus SU
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

OCT-1842 Giovanni Antonio Pischedda managed to obtain a search and excavation permit.
JUN-1844 Pischedda meet Giovanni Antonio Sanna in Marseille who found the capital for the mine.
28-APR-1848 perpetual concession deed signed by King Carlo Alberto.
1852 Sant'Antonio shaft started by the Compagnia Reale Anglosarda.
1865 Montevecchio mine with 1100 workers the most important mine of the kingdom.
1991 mine closed.

Geology

The mine is located in the Arburian granite mass. The cooling of the igneous diapir caused volume reduction and thus the opening of cracks. Those cracks were covered by silica rich minerals which crystallized from the ground water. But inside the quarz fluids coming from below filled the cracks with ankerite, sphalerite rich in Fe (marmatite), chalcopyrite, pyrite and galena. The metal ores are sulphides of various metals.

Description

The Miniera di Montevecchio (Montevecchio Mines) is not a single mine, it is an open air mining museum dedicated to the abandoned mines of the vicinity of Montevecchio. There are numerous mines, shafts, and abandonend mining related buildings. The mine is connected with two names, Giovanni Antonio Pischedda was apriest who first discovered the galena ores. He met Giovanni Antonio Sanna in Marseille, who recognized the potential of the place and found the money to open the mine. His family became later the owners and mangers of the mine for decades.

The mining park offers numerous different tours at various times and it is quite complicated. There is a detailed Orari di Apertura sheet on their website, please help yourself for exact information. Also they offer tours in Italian and English by default, other languages only after reservation.

The percorso della galleria Anglosarda (Anglosarda Gallery Route) is the tour with the underground part. It is offered more or less during summer, but not on all days. This tunnel was started in 1852 by the Compagnia Reale Anglosarda. It is an extraction tunnel, which means it was dug to actually excavate ore, not for transporting purposes. The remaining ores are still visible on the walls of the tunnel. The tunnel is reached through the Sant'Antonio shaft. Impressive is the wealth of minerals which formed since the tunnel was dug. The visitors are equipped wioth helmets and headlamps.

The Palazzina della Gestione route shows the building of the name, which housed the management offices of the mining company. It was also the home of the Sanna family at the beginning. The building was carefully renovated and shows the splendor of the 19th century bourgeoisie and their servants modest living conditions. Highlight is the Blue Room with its armchairs, sofas and gilded mirrors. It was used as a managerial and representative room. And finally there is the private exhibition of the mining engineer Alberto Castoldi who became director of the mine in 1877.

The Officine (offices) tour shows the mining machinery and its maintenance. It includes workshops, foundry, forge, and model room. The power plant from 1901 produced electricity for the mine, the machinery and the surfac ebuildings. The workshop was equipped to repair and build any necessary machinery and even invent new technology. In the foundry the iron and lead ore was molten to produce necessary parts for the mine. And finally the mechanical workshop was able to repair complex machinery and all vehicles.

The Piccalinna route shows the buildings at the San Giovanni shaft. Inside there are the winch and compressor rooms. There is also an almost 100 years old extraction machine which allowed the extraction of 20 m³ of material per hour. Quite astonishing is that this machine had only 120 horsepowers. It is very well preserved and maintained and its condition is more or less working order.

The Sant'Antonio route shows the surface buildings of the Sant'Antonio shaft, the headframe, the winches and compressors. It also includes a visit to the workers' quarters as an example of the living conditions in the mines. And it includes the mineral processing, where the ore was sorted, enriched and processed.

Nearby is the Museo dei Diorami sulla storia mineraria, also called Collezione Dellacà after its creator. It shows a splendid collection of dioramas that show buildings and machinery from the mines of Montevecchio and Ingurtosu. And finally there is the Museo dei Minerali (Mineral Museum) shows hundreds examples of minerals and ores from the mine. It is currently under construction.