Camisolo Mines , in Val Biandino of Introbio , are considereted of the biggest and of the oldest in Lombardy. On Camisolo’s top , near Rifugio Grassi on the Dorsale Orobica Lecchese , near Pizzo dei Tre Signori , at the height of the valley and at the borders of Valsassina and of Val Torta , today you still find some deposites of refusals of lead mine.
All began on Agoust 5th, 1862 in ” Palazz de Valbona “, when a Society knowed as ” La Virginia ” was inaugurated in Bergamo , this society took care of the dig and the estraction in the copper and lead mines in Valsassina. In the beginning it engaged to built recidences for the miners at the opening of the road , you actually can see some trails , to allow the transfer of the mineral until Introbio , using carts and sleights. Here , the society had built and expanded a workshop ( Fornett ), that previously was one of the most important iron melting furnace , in which the mineral was pulverized and washed.
The companies have abandoned soon Valsassina’s mines ; but Camisolo mines were reopened in the beginning of 1900 thanks to an english society named ” The Camisolo Mines Limited “. The mining activity take place between autumn and spring and it was complementary to pastoralism , a very important activity that still practiced in Valsassina.
Photos by Matteo Ceruti and from the sites mapio.net e www.prgamici.eu/
