Overview

Situated in the Ligurian Riviera di Levante hinterland, less than 20 kilometres from Lavagna, the Gambatesa Mining Museum is located in the upper Val Graveglia. Manganese is extracted from the subsoil, contained within siliceous metasediments called "Monte Alpe Jasper", which belong to an ophiolite succession of the Ligurian-Piedmontese Jurassic basin. A number of rare and new minerals were also discovered within the secondary mineralisations.
Since the second half of the 19th century, mining has played a fundamental role in the economic development of Val Graveglia, influencing its social history. In particular, the Gambatesa mining district was the most important manganese mining area in Europe, and is currently the only one that is still productive, although with limited production. Since 1998, SIL.MA., the operator of the mine, has undertaken a project for the recovery and conservation of the mining heritage, supported by specific contributions from the Liguria Region, the Aveto Park Authority and the Municipality of Ne.
To highlight the geological, socio-historical and economic aspects of the mine, a mining museum was opened in 2000. In its first three years of existence, it welcomed more than 50,000 visitors, of which around half were schoolchildren. In order to improve the enjoyment of the mineralogical collections and the educational-museum offer, a hut with adjoining guest quarters, an educational workshop, some self-guided outdoor paths, and the compressor room and other rooms in historical use at the mine were restored in 2009. In 2009, the Park Authority then took over ownership of the mining museum and its outbuildings. You can also access more than 8 km inside the mine with a mine train and appreciate the different types of routes, differentiated by duration and difficulty.
A visitors' centre with a bar, multimedia room and picnic area has also been set up outside, with a small, fully equipped guesthouse for short stays.

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