Monteponi Mine

Southwestern Sardinia


About 2km west of Iglesias, the sprawling Monteponi mining complex, now abandoned, was once one of Sardinia's most important producers of lead, zinc and silver. Extraction on the site started in around 1324 and continued on and off until 1992, when the entire operation transferred to Campo Pisano across the valley. Guided visits take in the Galleria Villamarina, an underground tunnel that connected the mine's two main shafts: the Pozzo Vittorio Emanuele and Pozzo Sella.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Southwestern Sardinia attractions

1. Museo dell'Arte Mineraria

1.36 MILES

Just outside the historic centre, Iglesias' main museum is dedicated to the town's mining heritage. It displays up to 70 extraction machines, alongside…

2. Chiesa di San Francesco

1.39 MILES

From Piazza del Municipio, Via Pullo leads to the dainty rose-red trachyte of the Chiesa di San Francesco. Built over a 200-year period between the 14th…

4. Municipio

1.44 MILES

Overlooking Piazza del Municipio and the Cattedrale di Santa Chiara is the grand neoclassical Municipio (town hall). The salmon-pink building houses…

5. Archivio Storico

1.45 MILES

Records illustrating Iglesias' past are kept in the Archivio Storico, the city's historical archive. Of particular interest is the 1327 Breve di Villa di…

6. Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie

1.45 MILES

Originally constructed at the end of the 13th century, the modest Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie retains little of its original form. About the only…

7. Palazzo Vescovile

1.45 MILES

Flanking the Cattedrale di Santa Chiara on Piazza del Municipio is the bishop's 18th-century residence, the Palazzo Vescovile. It is closed to the public.

8. Cattedrale di Santa Chiara

1.46 MILES

Dominating the eastern flank of Piazza del Municipio, the Cattedrale di Santa Chiara has a lovely Pisan-flavoured gold-hued facade and a checkerboard…

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