Gallinaria Mine
The Hidden Memory of the Gallinaria Mine
Nestled along the slopes of the Ligurian hinterland, the Miniera della Gallinaria preserves a story shaped by hardship, ambition, and long silences. This iron-copper deposit was worked from the second half of the 19th century to the early 20th century, marked by alternating phases of activity and abandonment. It was not dominated by large corporations, but by numerous small entrepreneurial ventures—often local—that sought to turn the mineral wealth of the subsoil into economic opportunity. Mining operations overlapped in part with nearby deposits, forming a widespread industrial network that deeply influenced the surrounding territory.
The Tunnels Along the Road to Bargone
Today, as you travel up toward the village of Bargone, attentive eyes can still spot traces of this mining past: tunnel entrances opening along the roadside like thresholds to a now-silent underground world. In the locality of Bargonasco stood the “Umberto II,” the main drainage and haulage tunnel that served as the technical heart of the entire complex. What remains are ruins and openings carved into the rock, yet the imagination can still summon the sound of carts, the echo of pickaxes, and the determination of those who, more than a century ago, sought their future in the darkness of the mountain.
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