Masaloni Mine, San Vito, South Sardinia Province, Sardinia, Italyi

Regional Level Types
Masaloni Mine	Mine (Abandoned)
San Vito	Municipality
South Sardinia Province	Province
Sardinia	Autonomous Region
Italy	Country

Masaloni Mine, Sarrabus-Gerrei, Sardinia, Italy

Masaloni Mine, Sarrabus, Sardinia, Italy

Translation of https://www.minieredisardegna.it/LeMiniere.php?IdM=19 :

The Masaloni mine can be reached by two different routes; the first is from the S.S. 125, and the second is from San Vito, bypassing the granite complex that culminates in Gennargiolas.

First route:

Between kilometres 49 and 50 of the S.S. 125 Orientale Sarda, at the height of the two Picheguas bridges, a dirt road goes north. Take it and follow it for about three kilometres. The cart track gets closer and closer to the stream that forms the Fassoni valley, until it runs to its side; at some point, you will come across a V-shaped intersection. A point of reference can also be the Perdu Lodde nuraghe ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuraghe ) which is clearly visible on the left on a hilltop. Take the cart track on the left, and continue to climb for another kilometre; you are now near the mine. A gate delimits the forestry site, inside which are the few remaining ruins of the mine. Leave the car and continue on foot along the cart track that will take you to the forest house. On the side of the mountain, the mine's dumps are now visible. All you have to do is wander around the area.

Second route:

The second route is much longer and more difficult than the first. It is therefore advisable to go off-road, or enduro, or mountain bike, for the most trained and willing. Another tip is to equip yourself with an IGM map (the Istituto Geografico Militare is the national mapping agency for Italy), or to be accompanied by a person who is an expert in the local geography.

Start at the southern entrance of San Vito, at the bridge over the Flumini Uri. Follow the road that wraps around the southern part of the town, and which follows the course of the stream backwards. After about 700 meters, turn left. From here the dirt road begins; follow the cart track that goes up the course of the stream for about three kilometres, always keeping to its left bank. Together, both the cart track and stream draw a wide curve around Bruncu Trincheddu; the cart track crosses the stream at the height of Cuili Girolimo, near Su Scoffoni, and immediately begins to climb steeply. After this first climb, the dirt road continues with a slight slope halfway up the hillside between the stream and the granite ridges that run from Rocca su Casteddu to Punta S'Olioni. Once in Arcu Battesarra you can make a stop to enjoy the view; after Arcu Battesarra, the road descends steeply towards the small mine of Sa Scala S'Acca or Su Casteddu, located in a border area between schist and grey porphyry. Then go up towards the Baccu Su Latti Cottu stream, and then towards the Minderrì plateau. The cart track now goes around the western slope of the granite massif dominated by Gennargiolas with a wide curve; at Bruncu su Tuvuraxiu the dirt road enters a thick holm oak forest. Bypassing the low peak, the road continues to climb with a slight slope eastwards up to Arcu 'e Mauru. From here to the gate of the forestry yard, which marks the end of the off-road route, the dirt road descends steeply and with narrow hairpin bends.

Very little remains of the Masaloni mine: a few ruins, many dumps, and the cart track that connected the Masaloni workings with those of Giuanni Bonu. The mine must have been of a certain size, given the dumps and the many tunnels, but the proximity and close connection with the nearby Monte Narba made a whole series of service structures useless.

Now the entire area is part of a large forest reforestation site, the signs of which can also be seen in photographs.

The site of Masaloni is interesting not only from an industrial, mineralogical, and archaeological point of view, but also from a strictly environmental one. From its 400 and more metres altitude, you can admire the views towards the sea both to the southeast and to the northeast.

The history of the Masaloni mine:

A request for exploration of what would become the Masaloni mine was made in 1873 by some researchers from San Vito. Five years later they ceded the rights to G. Vargiolu and associates, who began some galleries in the upper part of the eastern slope of Bacu Masaloni, exposing the silver vein.

In 1881 the Lanusei Company purchased the permits, continuing the work begun by Vargiolu, and already obtained a good production during that same year. The declaration of discovery was issued in the first months of 1888, while the concession was declared the following year.

The works began at an altitude of 400 m and were immediately connected to the 6th level of Giuanni Bonu by a cart track. Through the long cart gallery, ox carts could unload the ore into the main square of Monte Narba. These first works were developed on three levels that led to the outside, and on an internal basin with a well on the 3rd level.

The mineralized vein was thus cultivated for about a hundred metres. It was characterized by an occasional mineralization dispersed in small lenses that presented the classic association of galena, acanthite, native silver with abundant marcasite and sphalerite, in quartz gangue, fluorite, less baryte and calcite. Among the accessory minerals were ullmannite and nickeline as well as pyrargyrite. The vein, direction N57°W, displaced by frequent faults, sometimes presented difficulties of cultivation being closely embedded between the granite and the schists and often finding itself in contact with the "Auct quartzites." (Tuviois' formation). It was richer towards the east and was poorer in the west, where only the sterile gangue remained.

In the years of greatest activity, 70 to 80 workers worked there, both inside and outside the mine, including children and women in charge of sorting.

After the bankruptcy of the Lanusei Company and its purchase by the Malfidano Company, the mine followed the fate of those of the Monte Narba group with the transfer to the various companies that carried out numerous and inconclusive researches… Today the mine is totally abandoned but, from its large dumps and rocks, there are still discrete samples of the rare minerals that made it famous.

Source: STARA - RIZZO - BRIZZI, Sarrabus. Miniere e minerali.

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References