Ecomuseum of mines of Gorno

The journey of zinc across mountain pastures and mines is intended to strengthen the local community’s link with its own roots, history and traditions. The distintive activity of Gorno’s community that has contributed to shape the landscape, was mainly mining in the past; however, the mining industry has always been deeply bound to the rural world, mountain pastures and forest governance: once out of the gallery, miners looked after animals, made cheese for their families, gathered firewood and herbs, and turned to the traditional saints for any spiritual and material need. To explore and enhance this rich cultural and landscape heritage, it was decided to combine apparently distinct themes which actually refer to the same area, that is the interaction between man, work, mountain and human spirituality. The four following themes are addressed along the ecomuseum routes:

• mines and miners
• territory and nature
• history, tradition and faith
• ancient villages and fountains.

As for the enjoyment of services, the information system has been upgraded and equipped with multimedia workstations, information materials,ecomuseum road signs,  maps and plaques concerning place names, totem on the faith route, interactive workstations inside and outside the mine, etc…

One important aspect concerns the recovery of the tangible and intangibile mining heritage and the setting up of a museum with original materials, films, historical documentation enabling the collection of mining archives currently designated State Archives.