The Villandro silver mine, first mentioned in 1140, was donated by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa to the Novacella monastery in 1177. The Villandro mountain is completely excavated. Over a 750 m elevation difference, it features 16 galleries totaling 16.5 km, two-thirds hand-dug and one-third using explosives. Until 1943, primarily lead (galena), copper, pyrite and iron sulfide, sphalerite, and silver were extracted. The mine reached its peak productivity in the first half of the 16th century, employing a large number of miners. From the second half of the 16th century, the deposit slowly began to deplete. Despite difficulties, mineral extraction continued over the following centuries with a brief resurgence between 1893 and 1908, when mining activity was discontinued and briefly resumed in 1943 during World War II. The Elisabeth Gallery, 1670 m long and located at 1292 m altitude, was restored in the late 1990s and open to the public since 2005. The gallery offers insight into traditional extraction methods, the mine’s productivity capacity, mineral processing, as well as the working conditions of miners, whose life expectancy did not exceed 35-40 years.
Notes:
- €7.00 groups (over 15 people)
- €4.00 children (6-15 years)
- €7.00 seniors 65+ and students
- €3.00 school groups
- €20.00 families (2 adults, children up to 15 years)
- free for children under 6 years
- The entrance ticket to this museum also grants a discount on visits to the Tiso Mineralogical Museum and the Archeoparc Villandro.
Information about Villandro Mine Adventure
Oberland, 36
Villandro/Villanders (Bolzano/Bozen)
+39 345 3115661
info@bergwerk.it
https://www.musei-altoadige.it
guided tours only April – November Tue, Thu at 10:30 and 14:00, Sun at 10:30 July and August guided tours in the “Elisabeth” and “Lorenz” tunnels
€9.00
Source: MIBACT
