Italian Mineralogical Localities
In this page we want describe the main italian localities for research of minerals; for each locality we describe in which region of Italy it is, the main minerals that you can find and some other information . Moreover we are introducing some information from the turistic point of view and some links you can see, with a brief description of them. Anyway if you are interested in coming to Italy and visiting some localities, don't exitate to contact us: we can arrange a trip togheter or indicate you some interesting site to visit or where to find good food,wine and hotels. In the map of Italy under the table you can also visualize the position of each locality. An interesting site in which you can find information about art and museums ( comprising mineralogical museums ) is www.emmeti.it . In the site, in english, there is also a search engine to find all the monuments or the museums you are interested at. General information about the museums and accomodation.
| Locality | Main minerals | Other Things, related sites | ...other information ... |
| 1 ) Malenco Valley |
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Minerals gallery | |
| 2 ) Ala Valley |
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One of the best place for hessonite, here the xx are orange very bright; the dimensions of the cristals are till 1 cm. The localities of research are from 1 to 3 hours from the road. | Some specimens in Minerals gallery |
| 3 ) Brosso Mine |
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The mine is now closed, but it is possible to go inside
a minimum of 4 galleries; inside the mine is very big and you have to make attention
to remember the road for the return ( it is very easy to get lost ). See also the detailed article on Brosso Mine |
Look our experience inside this mine in our mineral trips |
| 4) Monte Bianco |
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Locality famous in all the world for its alpine minerals.
First of all Smocky ( Fumè ) Quartz and Pink Fluorite ( fantastic in association ); The
research localities are very distant from the road and at high quote. Now all the
area is a park and the research is restricted See also the detailed article on The mineral of Mt. Bianco |
Some specimens in the Minerals gallery |
| 5) Formazza Valley |
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Another important locality for the alpine minerals; most of all for the alpine quartz and for the hialine quartz | |
| 6) Baveno Quarry |
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A big granite quarry, still active, where is possible to find fantastic specimens of ortoclase, sometimes in association with smocky quartz | |
| 7) Zogno Mine |
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A closed mine not very big ( it has only 3 km of galleries ). Now several galleries are collapsed and the mine is dangerous . Here in the past perhaphs the best italian fluorites from deep violet to trasparent green were found | Look our experience inside this mine in
our mineral trips Some specimens are in Minerals gallery |
| 8) Zorzone Mine |
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Another closed mine very large and with many galleries; These are in good conditions, but you have to walk much inside to arrive in some research places | Look our experience inside this mine in our mineral trips |
| 9) Aurina Valley |
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A famous locality at the border with Austria, first of all
this locality is important for the green titanite, but here you can find any kind of
alpine mineral See also the detailed article on Aurina Valley |
Some specimens in the Minerals gallery |
| 10) Rombo Pass |
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In a hour of walk from the road is possible to find the scist matrix inside which you can find the garnets ( perfect shape of max 2 cm ) | |
| 11) Fassa Valley and Siusi Alp |
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This valley is in the Monzoni's mountains, that have a particoular geological history; in it is possible to find many kind and different minerals. The area gave the name to the mineral Fassaite. | |
| 12) Faiallo Pass |
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All this area is famous for its dark red hessonite of good brightness and dimension | |
| 13) Libiola Mine |
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If you want go inside this mine you have to know that it is very dangerous; the galleries are with a lot of water and many of them are inaccessible; inside the temperature is very hot | Look our experience inside this mine in
the our mineral trips Some specimens are in the Minerals gallery and in the Wholesale section |
| 14) Monte Rosso |
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This is a mountain of gypsum along the river Secchia; in two places of research you can find this particular quartz completely black | Some specimens are in the Wholesale section |
| 15) Marble mine of Carrara |
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In the spectacular scenario of the Apuane mountains there are the marble mines of Carrara. In the rock it is possible to find small vugs with many kind of minerals, normally small but perfect in the cristalization. For this reason this is one of the best place for micro-mounters | |
| 16) Campiglia |
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A classic locality in Tuscany. From this mine, now closed, in the past we had good specimens. Now all this locality is a Mineralogical Park. All Tuscany is a region very interesting from a mineralogical point of view. Moreover it is a fantastic region from the artistic point of view...so in any case a visit to the region will satisfy you. From the mineralogical point of view an interesting site is www.imss.florence.it . This is the home page of the institute and museum of history of science of Florence. The site, in english also, contains information about the museum itself, research activities, library and other topics. There also pages dedicated to the Elba island and to the Montecatini mine. | |
| 17) Elba Island |
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In the past one of the best and most famous localities in Italy. In this small island there were fantastic specimens of Pyrite and Ematite now in the most famous museums of the world. Very famous the specimens of Elbaite (...the name of the mineral is derived from this island ). In the site www.infoelba.it you can find a description of the island and of the mines and the mineralogical museum. In addition all the turistic information about this fantastic island where you can spend a good time in taking sun and enjoing the sea on the beach.Other great page is www.elbalink.it/parco/minerali/home.html, where you'l find a lot of intersting information | |
| 18) Vesuvio |
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The volcano that destroied Pompei gives us also some nice specimens of many kind of minerals, among these the Vesuvianite, that is taking the name from this volcano. Now it is almost impossible to find good specimens from this area, nevertheless there are some really marvellous archaelogical areas: Pompei and Ercolano, two ancient roman cities that were under the volcanic tuffs for 2000 years and now are visitable. They are exactly as they were 2000 years ago. | |
| 19) Osilo |
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This nice and famous locality is in the north of Sardinia Island. Around the small city of Osilo there are some quarry, where also now you can find something | Some specimens are in the Sardinia Special Page and in the Wholesale section |
| 20) Arburese mines |
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Some specimens are in the Sardinia Special Page | |
| 21)Silius mines |
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Some specimens are in the Sardinia Special Page | |
| 22)Iglisiente mines |
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The Monteponi mine is in this area and was one of the bigger mine of Sardinia, now is close but near the mainroad for Iglesias you can see also now the big plant and the montain of 'red moud' | Some specimens are in the Sardinia Special Page |
| 23)Sarrabus mines |
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| 24) Sicilian sulphur mines |
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Sicily is a large island in the very south of Italy. In the southern part of the island there were a lot of mines, of different sizes that gave probably the best specimens of sulphur in the world. In the 50's all the mines closed due to new mining methods and to a shrinkage in the demand of sulphur for industrial purposes. Now it is almost impossible to visit the most famous mines. Only few small mines very ancient are still visitable, but there isn't in practice the possibility to find good specimens.A site with a complete description of all the mines and of the geology and culture of the mines ( called zolfatare in italian ) is www.sicilianet.it . In the section CULTURA you will find, in italian, a lot of onteresting information and descriptions. | |
| 25)Perticara mine |
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| 26)Niccioleta & Campiano mine |
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| 27)Manciano |
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| 28) Bregaceto |
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In the mountain behind Sestri Levante in Liguria there is this locality from there are very appreciate the brookites specimens and the associations with anatases | |
| 29) Val Sugana |
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| 30)Bellecombe |
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