Gadoni, Funtana Raminosa Mine

Funtana Raminosa mine, machinery. Photo by A. Monteverde (detail), City of Gadoni

The mine occupies an area of great environmental interest, also important for industrial archeology in Sardinia.
Even if the oldest copper cultivations can be dated to the Nuragic age on the basis of archaeological findings, the concession to an Italian-French company dates back to the first decade of the twentieth century. The activity, suspended in 1983, has left obvious traces of the past through excavations, landfills and tunnels in a suggestive and unique landscape. A recovery and enhancement project, still in progress, gives the opportunity to visit the plants that are now in disrepair, but also relevant to the socio-economic history of the territory.
The settlement develops along the main road according to custom and has terraced buildings and the direction on a hill above the real mining facilities, which date back to the beginning of the twentieth century. The laundry room has the usual series of staggered and sloping volumes with sloping roofs and functional openings. Not far away, however, the most recent flotation plant reveals a vertical structure, accompanied by cylindrical tanks.
The mine is part of the Geominerary, Historical and Environmental Park of Sardinia, recognized by UNESCO.

History of studies
The mine is mentioned in several works on industrial archeology in Sardinia.

Bibliography
S. Mezzolani-A. Simoncini, Sardegna da salvare. Paesaggi e architettura delle miniere, Nuoro, Archivio Fotografico Sardo, 1993, pp. 286-290.

How to get there
The Funtana Raminosa mine is located in the municipality of Gadoni between Barbagia di Belvì and that of Seulo, along the left bank of the Saraxinus river. It can be reached by a detour from the hairpin road that leads from the town to Seulo, or by the SS 442 before the Ortuabis pass, through a carriage road.