Sao Domingos Mine - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The São Domingos Mine is a deserted open-pit mine in São Domingos

São Domingos

São Domingos can refer to many places in the world:*In Brazil:**São Domingos, Bahia**São Domingos, Goiás**São Domingos, Santa Catarina**São Domingos, Sergipe**São Domingos do Araguaia, Pará**São Domingos do Azeitão, Maranhão...

, Alentejo, Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

. This site is one of the volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposit

Volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposit

Volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposits are a type of metal sulfide ore deposit, mainly Cu-Zn-Pb which are associated with and created by volcanic-associated hydrothermal events in submarine environments....

s in the Iberian Pyrite Belt

Iberian Pyrite Belt

The Iberian Pyrite Belt is a vast geographical area with particular geological features that stretches along much of the south of the Iberian Peninsula, from Portugal to Spain. It is about 250 km long and 30–50 km wide, running northwest to southeast from Alcácer do Sal to Sevilla...

, which extends from the southern Portugal into Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

. The Romans mined in the São Domingos area for gold and silver for about 400 years. Mining stopped here when the Romans left.

In 1854 Nicolau Biava, an Italian miner from Piedmont, staked a claim to the mine; ownership then passed to a French syndicate. In 1855 mining was resumed, as the international demand for copper grew during the Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...

. In 1859 the mining concession was leased for 50 years to an English mining company, Mason and Barry, because of their industrial mining expertise. The nearby port of Pomarão was inaugurated the same year. Known as Pomaron in England, this inland port was specially constructed on the River Guadiana, which here forms the border with Spain, to serve the mine. In 1862 an 11 miles (17.7 km) railway, of three foot-six inch gauge, was opened connecting the mine to Pomarão. From Pomarão ore was exported, mostly to England, by ship. Pomarão was destroyed in a disastrous flood on 6–8 December 1876, and subsequently rebuilt.

Mason and Barry switched from tunnel mining to open-pit mining in 1867. Copper ore was the main product of the mine; in addition, pyrite was mined as a source of sulphur. About 25 megatons of ore had been extracted when the mine was closed in 1966.

Since closure the mine has attracted tourists. Many old mine buildings and the open-cast pit remain. The old mining company headquarters has been converted into a hotel. A small museum and archive, the casa do mineiro, in an old miner's cottage, depicts the life of the Portuguese miner. There is also an exhibition in an old cinema. There is an English cemetery, where mine managers and their families, many from Cornwall

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

, are buried. The railway line has been removed but one can still see the trackbed for much of the route.

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