Montevecchio
Encyclopedia
Montevecchio is one of the most ancient mining sites in Italy
. The site is located in the south west of Sardinia
, in the Province of Medio Campidano
. The village of Montevecchio is a frazione
of the municipality of Guspini
, while the mines are situated in the municipalities of both Arbus
and Guspini
.
n and Roman times. In 1842, modern industrial mining activity started in the area, thanks to the arrival of entrepreneurs such as Giovanni Antonio Pischedda and Giovanni Antonio Sanna. Subsequently, the Montecatini company took over the extractive activities. At its height, the mining village was inhabited by more than 3000 people. The mines of Montevecchio stopped their activities in 1991. The mines of Montevecchio are now an important site of industrial archaeology
, part of the Parco Geominerario Storico ed Ambientale della Sardegna.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The site is located in the south west of Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, in the Province of Medio Campidano
Province of Medio Campidano
Medio Campidano is a province in the autonomous region of Sardinia, Italy.It was created in 2005 from part of the province of Cagliari. It contains 28 communities, the largest of which by population are :-Politics:...
. The village of Montevecchio is a frazione
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
of the municipality of Guspini
Guspini
Guspini is a town and comune of about 13,000 inhabitants in west Sardinia , in the province of Medio Campidano. It is 62 km away from the capital Cagliari and 14.6 km from the railway station at San Gavino Monreale....
, while the mines are situated in the municipalities of both Arbus
Arbus
Arbus may refer to two towns:* Arbus , Italy* Arbus, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, FranceArbus is also a last name:* Allan Arbus, an actor* Diane Arbus, a photographer* Amy Arbus, daughter of Allan and Diane Arbus...
and Guspini
Guspini
Guspini is a town and comune of about 13,000 inhabitants in west Sardinia , in the province of Medio Campidano. It is 62 km away from the capital Cagliari and 14.6 km from the railway station at San Gavino Monreale....
.
History
The extraction of minerals in the area of Montevecchio dates back to the PhoeniciaPhoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
n and Roman times. In 1842, modern industrial mining activity started in the area, thanks to the arrival of entrepreneurs such as Giovanni Antonio Pischedda and Giovanni Antonio Sanna. Subsequently, the Montecatini company took over the extractive activities. At its height, the mining village was inhabited by more than 3000 people. The mines of Montevecchio stopped their activities in 1991. The mines of Montevecchio are now an important site of industrial archaeology
Industrial archaeology
Industrial archaeology, like other branches of archaeology, is the study of material culture from the past, but with a focus on industry. Strictly speaking, industrial archaeology includes sites from the earliest times to the most recent...
, part of the Parco Geominerario Storico ed Ambientale della Sardegna.
See also
- GuspiniGuspiniGuspini is a town and comune of about 13,000 inhabitants in west Sardinia , in the province of Medio Campidano. It is 62 km away from the capital Cagliari and 14.6 km from the railway station at San Gavino Monreale....
- ArbusArbusArbus may refer to two towns:* Arbus , Italy* Arbus, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, FranceArbus is also a last name:* Allan Arbus, an actor* Diane Arbus, a photographer* Amy Arbus, daughter of Allan and Diane Arbus...
- Costa VerdeCosta Verde (Sardinia)The Costa Verde , also known as Marina di Arbus, is a coastline located in the south west of Sardinia, in the Province of Medio Campidano. It extends for approximately 50 km from Capo Frasca, in the north, to Capo Pecora and Portixeddu, in the south. The Costa Verde is situated in the...
- Province of Medio CampidanoProvince of Medio CampidanoMedio Campidano is a province in the autonomous region of Sardinia, Italy.It was created in 2005 from part of the province of Cagliari. It contains 28 communities, the largest of which by population are :-Politics:...