Ancient mines of Dossena

Dossena boasts a distinguished mining past that is said to date back to Etruscan times. During the Roman period Dossena was an important mining center of the empire. Within the ancient mines, slaves of Rome were condemned Ad Metalla.
This is perhaps why the first church in the Brembana Valley was born in this small mountain village.
Generations of residents have worked in the country's mines, creating an incredible system of tunnels, with only the strength of their arms and pickaxes. Their toil has become, today, our wonder. A rare example of dedication and sacrifice.
Today Dossena has 930 inhabitants, and is the 190th municipality in the Bergamo area by population, but in the 1920s (at the height of mining activity) there were about 1,200, and almost all of them worked in the mines. The mines continued their activity for centuries, until they finally closed in the second half of the last century.
Work to restore the Dossena mines in Paglio began in September 2014, thanks to the work of 80 volunteers coordinated by the Municipality of Dossena. Cleaning from ancient debris, lighting and securing the pre-set tunnels made possible the inauguration on December 6, 2014, and the subsequent opening on May 2, 2015, along a relatively short route through ancient mining excavations.
With the extension work completed, we are able to offer a more lasting and forward journey into the depths of the mountains and to relive the stories of those who lived them.