Miniera di Pezzaze (Mine)

Helmet on your head and off you go! Down by little train 700 metres into the heart of the mountain with the tour of the Miniera Marzoli in Pezzaze, a unique and surprising exploration of the mining tradition of Val Trompia.

The Val Trompia area has a history of mining and extracting siderite—a highly prized mineral composed of ferrous carbonate—that dates back over a thousand years: just think that at the end of the Middle Ages, in the upper valley, between Bovegno, Collio and Pezzaze, there were as many as 50 active mines.

For more than 20 years, associations, companies and municipalities have been working to promote this important history, which has led to the reopening of the Marzoli Mine in Pezzaze, with the aim of handing down the memory of this long-gone tradition to new generations.

Marzoli Mine, 700 metres into the heart of the mountain

The tour begins with an introductory video on life in the mine, with images and sounds of geologyl and mining. Once the video is over, it is time to take a trip into the heart of the mountain accompanied by expert guides.

The journey inside the Marzoli Mine is extraordinary, an incredible jump back in time, to hard working days spent in narrow and cramped environments, in tunnels full of dangers excavated with rudimentary means such as the pickaxe: a heritage of inestimable value that deserves to be preserved and made known.

Since 2018, a new section of the tunnel can also be visited, featuring period photographs that make the tour even more engaging, and the “Cultivation Tunnel“—in which siderite, the mountain’s main mineral, was extracted—is once again open to the public. And that’s not all: the museum “Il Mondo dei Minatori e l’Arte del Ferro” (The World of the Miners and the Art of Iron) now also displays the Marzoli Mine Historical Archive, full of evidence from this exceptionally important period.

Plan your visit

The tour is suitable for all ages. Comfortable, warm clothing and closed shoes are recommended: the temperature inside the tunnels is around 10 °C all year round.

Tickets include a tour of the mine and the museum; for prices, opening hours, information for schools and groups, see the official Miniera Marzoli website.