History and Culture: Quarries and mines, Archaeology of production, Civil architecture

Bargonasco Hydroelectric Power Plant

The Water That Lit Up Sestri Levante

In the heart of the Ligurian Riviera, the Bargonasco stream flows silently, witness to a story of ingenuity and industry. Here stood the Bargonasco hydroelectric plant, a gem of industrial archaeology, capable of transforming the power of water into electricity long before public lighting became common.

Lorenzo Gardella and the Energy of Copper

The plant is linked to Lorenzo Gardella, an industrialist born in Recco and a key figure in Ligurian metallurgy. In 1892, Gardella founded the Società Ligure Ramifera in Casarza Ligure, dedicated to smelting and refining copper ore extracted from the Bargone and Gallinaria mines, producing sheets, profiled bars, and wire for the electrical industry. To meet the energy needs of his factory, Gardella built the hydroelectric plant on the Bargonasco stream, harnessing water as a driving force.

An Innovation That Lit Up the Tigullio

Thanks to the surplus energy generated, in 1901 the nearby town of Sestri Levante became the first in the Tigullio area to have public electric lighting, a symbol of industrial and technological progress at the time. The plant was not just a production facility, but a true engine of development for the surrounding community.

The Structure and Heritage to Preserve

The site includes a stone dam with a mechanical gate, a long sloped conduit leading to Bargonasco with numerous vaulted tunnels, and the electricity generation area with an accumulation basin and penstock. Unfortunately, no trace of the original turbine remains, but the infrastructure still preserves the testimony of an era of extraordinary technical innovation.

Trekking and cycling routes that may interest you

Itineraries of different durations and suitable for every taste and level of preparation, to discover the most beautiful and evocative places and panoramas of the Ligurian Tigullio.