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| Where | Capoliveri - Loc. Calamita |
|---|---|
| How to get there | From Capoliveri, follow the signs for the Capoliveri Mines until you reach the Museo della Vecchia Officina, the starting point of the excursion. |
| Opening hours | Every day
level 1: 10:30 am and 2:30 pm level 2: 11:30 am |
| Guided tours | Reservation recommended.
Level 1: discover unusual landscapes and the life of the miners. Flat underground route accessible to everyone. Length: 1000 m, elevation: 0 m, duration: 50 min. Level 2 deeper underground route (from 12 years old): descend into the depths via the steep stairs of the shaft, continuing by torchlight only, like real miners. Length: 1000 m, elevation: -30 m, duration: 50 min. Night tours every Thursday evening Special experiences: immersive multisensory tours and sunset aperitif Customized excursions and guided tours outside the calendar available on request all year round, standard ticket minimum 10 paying people, with a supplement for fewer participants. Mine Safari organizes excursions aboard a 4x4 military vehicle. |
| Prices | Full price €20/25, reduced €13/20 (route 1 or 2, museum included). Special "group" ticket for at least 15 paying participants. Discounts with agreements. |
| Visitor experience | Suitable for visitors over 65 - Suitable for families with children - Access for small dogs is permitted only on the first level (in a pet carrier or held in their owner’s arms) |
| Contacts | Miniere Calamita
Tel. +39 0565 935492 - +39 393 9059583 - +39 393 8720018 minieracalamita@gmail.com |
Ginevro was the largest and most productive magnetite gallery in Europe, a flagship of Italian steel production.
The external excavations are quite limited, because unlike Calamita and the other mines on Elba, it is the only one where internal excavation was undertaken through surveys and tunnels starting from +6 meters and developed on several levels down to 54 meters below sea level.
In operation from 1971 to 1981, it was one of the most modern mines in Europe, built with very innovative criteria for the time. Magnetite, the best iron ore, was mainly extracted here. When mining activity stopped, only 1/3 of the iron deposit had been exploited, available down to 250 meters below sea level, and other types of minerals could also be found: Ilvaite, Garnet, Tourmaline, Epidote.
Curiosity: The amount of ore still present in this area is enormous, so much so that the Ginevro mine is considered a strategic iron reserve by the Italian State, kept on standby so it can be reactivated in case of emergency or need.
Today, you can take various excursions and guided tours down to -24 meters below sea level. Wearing a helmet, you enter this large tunnel lit by just a few lights while the guide explains the history and mining methods used in the mine.
When the mine was still active, the gallery had two openings: one to the north and one to the south; one of the two excavations later collapsed, while the other overlooks a cliff on the third level of the mine (at -54 m below sea level). These holes for crushing and collecting the minerals were made with several explosive charges arranged in a radial pattern 1 m apart, detonated in a controlled and programmed explosion. In this way, the blasted material fell down into the carts positioned on the lower level and was transferred to the lift that brought it to the surface. From the carts, the ore was then loaded onto a conveyor belt to be transferred to the mine's processing plant, where it was dropped in cascade into the various washing facilities, and at the end of processing, loaded onto trucks by land or onto ships by sea.
Curiosity: In the caves inside the mine, colorful stalactites are growing at an impressive rate. If they continue to grow at this pace, in a few years these caves could become very interesting as they currently have unique colors.
You can visit the Ginevro mine with the mine guides, starting from the Museo della Vecchia Officina. Discover our journey through the Capoliveri mines!
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