A mining hamlet of Guspini, this evocative location was once home to one of the most important mining complexes in Sardinia—no, in Italy—actually, in all of Europe; achieving worldwide fame as the source of the lead used to make the pellets for Olympic shooting competitions of the time.
Montevecchio, with its roughly 350 inhabitants sharing the area with numerous deer and wild boar, is a mining village frozen in time, set 370 meters above sea level and surrounded by the fragrant Mediterranean scrub. Mining activities, carried out from 1848 to 1991, gave a huge economic boost to the area, leading to the creation of a brewery (still in operation today), a hospital, schools, a hotel, and even a football team founded during the Fascist era—not to mention its own internal currency. Particularly spectacular is the Management Palace (open to visitors through guided tours), refined and elegant despite its wild setting. Inside, its most famous room, the Blue Hall, feels less like a mining village and more like Versailles.
The Montevecchio mining complex comprises several sites: Piccalinna Shaft, Sant’Antonio Shaft, Sanna Shaft, Sciria Station, Casargiu Shaft, and Amsicora Shaft—the latter reaching a depth of 288 meters before closing in 1991.
Today, this enchanting village and its abandoned mining facilities provide the perfect destination for anyone seeking a culturally fascinating experience with a touch of nostalgia.
