The gold mines

People say it is one of the largest gold deposits in Europe – at least 20 square kilometres, for approximately 60 kilometres of tunnels – and tradition states that the Romans were the first to dig gold from the seams of the upper Anzasca Valley. The oldest clue discovered is the finding, in the Miniera dei Cani (Dog Mine), of a small bronze bell from the Roman era.

The first official document certifying mining work in that segment of Italy is dated 1291, an activity that would continue to develop over the centuries until the 1960s, when the mines were abandoned and, ultimately, converted to welcome tourists.

The Guia mine, the first gold mine museum in the Alps open to tourists recounts the stories of the miner’s strain and labour. Here, the visitor’s path winds along a route of approximately 1.5 kilometres, along which you can easily glimpse and admire authentic seams of gold-bearing pyrite.