Portale Turismo Sestri Levante

ANCIENT MINES AND PREHISTORIC MINERS

Along this route it is possible to visit the other museum of the system of Sestri Levante and Castiglione Chiavarese, the most peculiar geological, geomorphological and mineralogical aspects of the territory, which hide a history of exploitation with very ancient origins. The route is about 90 km long. It is accessible by car, mainly situated on the provincial road 523, linking the coast and the hinterland, between Sestri Levante and Varese Ligure, since the Middle Ages.

Starting from Palazzo Fascie and continuing along the Aurelia (SS1) towards the motorway exit, take the provincial road n. 44, then in Santa Vittoria continue on the provincial road n. 88 up to Balicca and Libiola, perched on the slopes of a mountain exploited since prehistoric times for its copper deposits. Then go back to the provincial road n. 44 up to Tassani and Casarza Ligure, admiring among the bends the traces of the most recent mining activities. For advanced hikers, an interesting trail starts from Tassani, marked with an empty red square, which, passing the former copper mine of Libiola, leads to Colle d’Incisa in about an hour and a half. From there you can take the path with the red cross that leads to Bargone, a small nucleus linked to the work of the miners and characterized by interesting geological aspects such as the pillars basalts. An alternative is continuing up to Monte Treggin (870 meters above the sea level), a fascinating peak characterised by red purplish jasper, and to the archaeological site of Pian del Lago, where there is a peat bog that allowed to reconstruct the environmental evolution from the Paleolithic to the contemporary age. From Pian del Lago along the road towards Passo del Bocco di Bargone, one can also reach another important mining site in less than an hour walk. Through a trail marked with a red triangle you can descend to Bargone, from where you can reach Casarza Ligure and visit the Parma Gemma Mineralogical Museum, which houses a rich collection of rocks and minerals from the area between Sestri Levante and Varese Ligure.

From Casarza Ligure the path follows the provincial road n. 523 up to Bargonasco, where you can go back (provincial road n. 60) to Masso: here you find the other building of the Museum System, visit a copper mine and experience the thrill of identifying with the miner’s work between sounds and suggestions.

Then return to the main road (provincial road n. 523) to pass Castiglione Chiavarese and the Velva tunnel, up to Torza: at the fork follow directions to Santa Maria di Maissana, where you can visit the archaeological site of Valle Lagorara.

From Santa Maria di Maissana if you continue along the provincial road n. 52, among charming villages and woods, you take the provincial n. 523 which takes to Varese Ligure, no longer a center of mining activity, but still a very important crossroads that linked Sestri Levante with Emilia Romagna, with a dense network of mule tracks for exchanges of goods between the Ligurian coast and all the Po Valley.

The provincial road n. 523 which starts from Varese Ligure, in less than an hour by car, or bus, leads directly to Sestri Levante, through the Val di Vara and Val Petronio (passing the Velva tunnel, Castiglione Chiavarese and Casarza Ligure).

Development of the path: Palazzo Fascie-Santa Vittoria-Libiola (Balicca) -Santa Vittoria-Tassani-Cardini-Casarza Ligure-Val Petronio-Bargonasco-Masso-Monte Loreto (Polo della Sistema Museale) -Castiglione Chiavarese-Velva-Val di Vara-Maissana-Valle Lagorara-Varese Ligure-Sestri Levante

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