THE DOSSENA MINES

Along the Via Mercatorum, in Dossena, in the Brembana Valley, is the oldest mining area in Bergamo’s mountains, a rich and very varied mining district. Used and abandoned in various historical periods, they were even studied by Leonardo Da Vinci for the particular extraction techniques used here.

Over the centuries it has extracted ferrous material and calamine, and since the World War One it was used for the extraction of fluorite, a precious material for the metallurgical and glass industry.

The mine ceased activity definitively in 1981.

A map dating back to the 1970s shows the inside of the mines at the time. The access tunnel was the main entrance used by the workers, also used for the supply of water and air through compressors, and pumps and for transportation of the material extracted to the outside. 300 metres long, the main tunnel reached an artificial cave from which two tunnels began. The ventilation tunnel, which led to an extensive extraction site developed on various levels, through which it was possible to reach the village of Dossena or the annexed mining site at the artificial cave Lente Martelli. The second tunnel, called the tunnel of sighs, was one of the last probing excavations, from which no deposits were found.

Today the mining area has been partly recovered and opened to the public, the tunnels have been secured and are once again accessible.

Delve into the past, entering the tunnels and discover the excavation chambers, the wells, the chimneys and the shafts. You will have the opportunity to see the old work tools up close and along the way a guide will tell you the origins and history of the mines, the minerals and the extraction techniques.

You can follow the itinerary and experience an unforgettable adventure discovering the history and the beauty of these mines.