Where | Rio Marina |
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How to get there | The mine is located just outside the town of Rio Marina and extends north up to Mount Giove. |
Contacts | Mining Park of the Island of Elba Tel. +39 0565 962088 |
The Mining Park of the Island of Elba, established in 1991 with the aim of converting the areas degraded by iron extraction, preserves an invaluable geological, mineralogical, and mining historical heritage. It is an area of enormous landscape and cultural importance, characterized by suggestive “moonlike landscapes”, blood-red and ochre-yellow colors, and the presence of remains of old processing plants.
There were active two mineral deposits: Rio Marina and Rio Albano, and numerous mining sites.
Curiosity: Inside the Rio Mines, the Rosseto Gallery has recently been restored and made safe. In the gallery, several significant elements have been recovered and reproduced, such as the Santa Barbara area, intended for storing explosives; the drilling area, complete with original machinery; and the furnace, which has been made accessible and secured to reach the lower part of the maze of galleries connected to the Rosseto Gallery.
The Rio Marina deposit is the oldest mine on the Island of Elba: the workings, which began in the Etrusco-Roman period, continued almost uninterrupted until the industrial period. In this deposit, covering a total area of about 191 hectares, hematite and limonite were mainly extracted, along with various accessory minerals such as pyrite and quartz.
The main mining sites of the Rio Marina mine were Bacino, Valle Giove, and Falcacci, each with distinct characteristics. The Bacino site is very famous among mineral collectors worldwide because, in the 1980s, significant hematite crystallizations were discovered. Falcacci is famous for the discovery of cubic pyrite specimens and for the identification of a new mineral species in 2005, named Riomarinaite, after Rio Marina. The Valle Giove site is interesting for its terraced amphitheater morphology, typical of open-pit mining.
The Rio Albano deposit covers an area of about 172 hectares and is developed in several mining sites around Mount Caledozio. The deposit is mostly composed of masses of hematite and limonite (with pyrite). Although less famous than the Rio Marina mine, this area also experienced intense mining activity, and some sites were worked until the mineral reserves were exhausted.
The main site is the Conche site, which was mined from 1940 to 1970 both by open-pit and underground methods. The main minerals extracted were limonite and hematite, with accessory minerals such as pyrite and siderite. Inside the deep open-pit excavation, a reddish-brown and purplish lake has formed, whose waters are rich in iron salts.
Various types of guided tours are available by reservation and include visits to the main open-pit mining sites of Rio Marina and Rio Albano. Along the route, the guides explain the different mineral species and the various mining techniques used inside the mine. Tours are available every day from April to October by reservation. Prices include a visit to the Mineral Museum of Rio Marina, the starting point for all tours.
An incredible adventure aboard a real military vehicle: a VM90, 8-seater, which will take you through suggestive off-road paths to discover the mining sites and in search of the most famous Elban minerals.
Prices including museum visit:
Full price € 22.00
Reduced (4-12 years) € 13.00
A mine tour aboard a characteristic little train that takes you through the main mining sites of Rio Marina, each with its own colors and characteristics, to experience an unforgettable adventure in the land of iron.
During the visit, a stop is made at the Valle Giove Mining Site, where you can search for mineral specimens to keep and take home with you.
Prices including museum visit:
Full price: € 16.00
Reduced price: € 10 for kids and children aged 4 to 12
Free for children up to 3 years old
Educational workshop for families with children aged 6 to 12 years. The workshop takes place in the Mineral Museum of Rio Marina and continues with mineral searching at the Bacino Mining Site.
July and August: every Thursday at 4:00 PM
Duration: about 3 hours.
Reservation required.
Prices
Accompanying adults € 9.00
Children € 12.00
Activities are also available for groups and school classes with prior reservation: Searching for Minerals, Educational Workshops, Trekking, All Aboard the Little Train!
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