The gold mine of Sessa

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ziopet

Type

Bike

Distance

7.109 mi

Duration

00:50:30

Avg Watts

128.20 Watt(s)

Recorded on

06/03/2022

Added on

07/03/2022

Total ascent

1519 ft

Via Sessa 58, 6995 Molinazzo di Monteggio, Switzerland

Via Bedéa 8, 6986 Novaggio, Switzerland

Description

This area of Ticino has a subsoil rich in minerals, and various metals such as iron, lead, silver, and gold, extracted already in the 18th century. Here the earliest documented gold mining attemps date back to 1785, but on the banks of the Lisora river, neatly stacked piles of well-worn bowls can be found, representing the remain of gold mining activity dating from the Roman period. Until 2015 the entrance to the Sessa mine was abandoned and inaccessible, hiding an underground maze with over two kilometres of tunnels dug by the miners on five different levels. This 375-meter tunnel is now open to the public to explore the spectacular and characteristic elements of the mining world. The Sessa mine is unique, offering the only possibility to experience the history of the extraction of gold minerals in Switzerland.

Strava segments

Portions of this video are actual Strava segments