Museo del Carbone della Grande Miniera di Serbariu

Useful Information

Location:	From Cagliari SS130 towards Igleasias, exit for Villamassargia and Carbonia. In Villamassargia turn right towards Carbonia at the first traffic light. Follow SP2 to Sirai, exit on SS126 to Carbonia. At the first roundabout towards Carbonia, at the second roundabout turn right, signs for Great Mine of Serbariu.
Open:	Museum: 21-JUN to 20-SEP daily 10-19. 21-SEP to 20-JUN Tue-Sun 10-18. Ticket office closes one hour earlier. Underground tour: 10:30, 12, 14:30, 16, 17:30. [2020]
Fee:	Adults EUR 8, Children (6-12) EUR 6, Children (0-5) free, Seniors EUR 6. Groups (25+): Adults EUR 6, School Pupils EUR 5. Combi Ticket for all four museums at Carbonia: Adults EUR 15. [2020]
Classification:	Coal Mine
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:	VR=179 m, deepest point 103 m bsl.
Guided tours:	D=1 h.
Photography:
Accessibility:	museum: yes, underground: partially.
Bibliography:	Luciano Ottelli (2005): Serbariu. Storia di una miniera, Tema Editrice, 2005 Giorgio Peghin, Antonella Sanna (): Carbonia. Città del Novecento
Address:	Museo del Carbone della Grande Miniera di Serbariu, Grande Miniera di Serbariu, 09013 Carbonia SU, Tel: +39-0781-62727. 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

1937	mine opened.
1964	end of coal mining.
1971	mine closed.
1991	site purchased by the town.
2002	start of restoration.
03-NOV-2006	show mine opened to the public.

Geology

Description

photography — Galleria di servizio della miniera (1938). Public Domain.

While this is called the Museo del Carbone, it is actually a show mine with an underground tour. The Grande Miniera di Serbariu is a coal mine. The undergound tour includes the lamp factory, the winch room and the underground tunnel.

The lamp factory is also accessible without guide, and houses a precious collection of mine lamps. There is also an exhibition on the history of coal, the mine and the city of Carbonia. The collection is completed by work tools, everyday objects, photographs, documents, period films and video interviews with the miners.

The underground tunnel shows tools of the time and large machinery. It represents the coal mining technology of the first half of the 20th century. However, much of the machinery is still in use in active coal mines in this form.

The winch room contains the enormous machinery for the operation of the mining elevator. The cages transported miners, empty carts and coal in and out of the mine.

The Serbariu mine had its heydays between the 1930s and 1950s, when it represented one of the most important energy resources in Italy.