Guspini, Montevecchio Museum Complex - Sant'Antonio itinerary

The Sant'Antonio mine was part of the first mining concession granted to Giovanni Antonio Sanna by King Carlo Alberto in 1848. The homonymous well, one of the most suggestive in Montevecchio, dominates the construction site. The crenellated tower, built in Neo-Gothic style, according to the style in vogue in those years, masked the industrial structure necessary for the hard extraction work that took place inside the well.
Started in 1853, the excavations led to the construction of sixteen levels of extraction, for a depth of more than 500 meters.
The large reel winch, electrified in 1919, made it possible to transport men and ore from mining tunnels to the surface in lifting cages. Here, next to the majestic well, there were several plants to support underground work: the old forge, the lamp shop, the power plant and the connected workshop, the two compressor rooms that were once able to meet the needs of numerous processing phases, from mechanical workshops to flotation plants. An internal railway line equipped with small wagons transported the extracted mineral to the Principe Tomaso Washing Machine.
After a century of flourishing activity, characterized by the continuous technological innovations of the first half of the 20th century, the exhaustion of the best lines, the decline in the quality of the extracted material together with the increase in production costs, caused the mining crisis in Montevecchio. In 1988, the activity at the Sant'Antonio well was interrupted after more than a century of extraction.
Workers' accommodation
A narrow internal corridor, as if along a road, leads to small numbered houses: some of the workers of the Sant'Antonio mine lived
here, together with their families. The common bathroom at the end of the corridor is almost a luxury for a period when, usually, to access the services, you had to go outside. Few rooms, furnished in a simple and essential way. Everyday utensils and modest furniture faithfully decorate the housing units, projecting the visitor into the original atmosphere of life at the time: the simple kitchen with the essential dishes, one or more wrought-iron beds and a few furnishings essential to domestic life was all that a family of workers could hope for.
Former mineral depot
Once used as a barracks and homes for employees, the Mineral Deposit, together with the workmen's quarters, the stables, the caretaker's house and the old Rio washing machine, is located in the area currently referred to as the Rio Complex, which owes its name to the homonymous washing plant, the first of the mine, built in 1853 at the Sant'Antonio shipyard.
The deposit presents a journey to discover work in the Montevecchio mine: from rock to pure mineral, to metal, ready to be forged, supported by stratigraphic research, and by descriptions of extraction, sorting and enrichment techniques. The visit develops the themes of mining work, through a series of panels, integrated by the exhibition of objects related to the mine, from the tips of the drilling holes to the samples of mineralized rock.

Why is it important to visit it
The “Sant'Antonio” route runs along the surface areas adjacent to the characteristic crenellated tower of the extraction well and includes, in addition to the winch and compressor rooms, a visit to the workers' quarters and the former mineral deposit.
The architectural structure of the building (whose rooms overlook the long corridor) and the furniture that characterizes the various rooms, make the workmen's quarters an important example of living conditions in the mines. The former mineral deposit, on the other hand, offers a wide overview of mining work: from rock to pure ore to metal ready to be forged. There are also documents supporting stratigraphic research and descriptions of extraction, sorting and enrichment techniques.

Tag

Structure category: industrial archeology

Content type: Sites or plants

Usability: Open

Province: Sud Sardegna

Common: Guspini

Macro Territorial Area: South Sardinia

POSTAL CODE: 09036

Address: piazzale Rolandi, 1

Telephone: +39 070 9760215 +39 338 4592082

E-mail: info@minieradimontevecchio.it

Website: www.minieradimontevecchio.it/sant-antonio-montevecchio.html

Facebook: www.facebook.com/minieramontevecchio

Instagram: www.instagram.com/minieramontevecchio

Information on tickets and access: For always updated information on all visiting hours and to view other cumulative ticket offers on multiple tour routes, it is advisable to consult the manager's official website. Online reservations can be made at the following link. The tours are guided by G.T. regularly registered in the regional register, access to the routes independently is not allowed. The Management Journey has an average duration of 30 minutes. The infopoint/ticket office is located in the village of Montevecchio, in front of the management building. Not all areas of the route are accessible to people with reduced mobility. Pets are allowed in the management route, hoping for maximum respect for property and other people visiting. Information on departure times: The departure times of the various guided tours allow them to be carried out in succession, for example starting at 10:15 with the Tour Direction, you can participate in all the other morning tours ending your experience at 14:15. Force majeure may cause the daily schedule of visits to vary. For the departures of guided tours, towards the various routes, contact the Infopoint of the village of Montevecchio in Piazza Rolandi, 2. Guided tours are also available in English, French, German and Spanish. The duration of the visit of a route of your choice is approximately 45 min.; of two routes of your choice approximately 90 min.; of three routes of your choice approximately 135 min.; of four routes of your choice approximately 180 min. There are five structured routes: Palazzo della Direzione, Piccalinna, Officine, Sant'Antonio, Galleria Anglosarda.

Access mode: For a fee

Tickets :

Integer : 5 €, grownups, Sant'Antonio itinerary .

Reduced : 3.5 €, groups over 20 people, children from 7 to 12 years old, adults over 65 years old, Sant'Antonio itinerary .

Freeware : 0 €, minors from 0 to 6 years old, all routes .

Services information: Guided tours will always be available in ITA and ENG (except in rare cases of exceptional influx). Guided tours in other languages (FRA-DEU-ESP) will be available upon prior request or subject to daily availability.

Update

22/4/2024 - 20:08

Services

Teaching room