Centro Minerario di Valle Imperina

In the heart of the Basso Agordino, the Valle Imperina tells centuries of mining history, where work in the mines has shaped the life and economy of the local community. The first document attesting to mining activity dates back to 1409, when Enrico di Heslinger received authorization to extract copper.

For a long time, small family-run companies managed the mines, until 1615, when Francesco Crotta discovered the richest vein of copper. A skilled entrepreneur, Crotta built a true mining empire that his sons carried on, even entering into the Venetian nobility. The Crotta-De' Manzoni villa, in the heart of Agordo, still stands today as a symbol of their importance.

With the increase in production, the Republic of Venice understood the strategic value of the mine for its Arsenal. Thus, it centralized management by building the smelters, still visitable today, and controlling half of the copper needed for the Venetian Arsenal.

In the 19th century, under the Lombardo-Veneto Kingdom, the mine was modernized, further increasing production. However, with the unification of Italy, copper from America reduced the profitability of the operation: many workers were laid off, and a first phase of emigration from the valley began.

By the end of the 19th century, management passed to the Magni & C. company, which transformed production into sulfuric acid and other derivatives. In 1910, Montecatini took over with an ambitious modernization plan: it built a hydroelectric power plant and a railway connection with Bribano, keeping the mine operational even during World War II.

In the 1950s, while continuing modernization efforts, thoughts began to turn towards definitive closure. After centuries of work, innovation, and economic growth, the Valle Imperina mine closed in 1962, leaving a unique historical and architectural heritage, ready to tell visitors a story of ingenuity, hard work, and progress.

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