From the center of the Earth

Following the miners’ traces through tunnels, shafts and industrial archeology

The museum is located about 1 km away from the town of Montecatini Val di Cecina. It’s set up next to where the copper mine of Caporciano once was, which was in use from the Etruscan era up until the 1900s. By restoring an ancient place of production, an interesting trip back through history and memory was created.
The Valdicecina has been subject to countless mining activities since ancient times. The Mining Museum explores the wide range of resources, places and activities linked to the sector. The Museum is set up in the Palazzo Pretorio of Montecatini Val di Cecina, and is part of a whole tour.

The mining history, between geology and extraction

Retrace the geological and cultural history of the Valdicecina

The signs of the exploitation of the big variety of underground activities are scattered throughout the area. The underground resources include rock salt, copper, alabaster and geothermal fluids.
That’s the reason behind the Mining Museum, which represents all the resources, places and activities linked to the underground of the Valdicecina, together with the mine site of Caporciano, once the most famous copper mine in Europe.
Set up in the 14th-century Palazzo Pretorio, the Documentation Center of the Mining Museum is a part of the tour, which also includes the mining site of Caporciano with the Pozzo Alfredo shaft, the entrance to the mine, the technical and administrative offices and the Muraglione dam.