Sassi Neri Mine in Capoliveri

The Sassi Neri Mine was a less important site in the Capoliveri Mines and was in a more northern position than Ginevro and the Calamita Mines.

Interesting information:There was also another mining site further south called Stagnone but it has only been used for investigation reasons and never for cultivation.

Extraction work in the Sassi Neri mine started in 1953 and came to an end in 1960. The Sassi Neri deposit in itself was quite minimal and was little more than extra part of Ginevro: all in all only about 200 thousand tons were calculated with only half being exploited.

Although the Magnetite extracted here, was not unlike the mineral extracted in Ginevro mine, it had a higher sulfur content and also contained amphiboles and pyroxenes so it was less likely to break. Here you could also extract: Epidote, white and green Adularia, Quartz and black Tourmaline.

A scenic and very popilar tourist attraction in this area is the tiny, Sassi Neri lake that has come to exist thanks to years of filling up the mining well, and the name of the lake literally comes from the old mine that is no longer in use.

The lake consists of greenish, fresh water and the colour stands out against the dark, red coloured rocks of the high ,extraction walls that surround it as well as the wild plants that are so typical of the Mediterranean bush that have now completely covered what were once cultivated areas, and where, only in a few areas, can you see aquatic plants. The lake is 4m above sea level, and although it is very small it is thought to be about 10 metres deep.

The stretch of land that separates it from the sea is made up of a hill where excavation did not take place and that acts as a shield against the strong winds that blow from the east. This is why although the sound of the waves breaking on the shore is only a few metres away you can't see the sea from the basin of the lake

The building used by the miners is very near, and even today you can still read the name of the Ferromin company and "Sassi Neri Mine".