The Guia Mine

The Guia Gold Mine at Fornarelli not far from the Walser House Museum was the first mine to be reopened as a museum.
The mine was active for over two hundred years, from 1710 to 1945.

At its entrance you can see the mercury amalgam mill which was activated by water pressure: this method was used in the 20s and 30s to separate the gold from sterile material.

Mining, with its hard labour, was a common trade in the Anzasca Valley, and it was thanks to the availability of miners that the gold mine reached its peak of production in the interwar period.

The mine later became unproductive and was closed in 1945, but has been reopened for guided visits (admission charge), during which you can glimpse real veins of gold-bearing pyrite along the route (1.5 km).