“A journey into the mining tradition of the old continent”

The “Geological, Mining Park of Sardinia” and the “Technological and Archaeological Park of the Metalliferous Hills of Grosseto” in alliance with the municipalities of Iglesias and Massa Marittima organize the first Exhibition of the European mining statutes entitled:

The mining codices : European statutes compared.

From the Aljustrel Tables to the medieval Codices

Held simultaneously in Iglesias (Sardinia)  and Massa Marittima (Tuscany)  from the 4th to the 21st of December 2008.

The exhibition, opening simultaneously in the two towns on the 4th of December on the occasion of the Feast of Saint Barbara, the patron saint of miners, brings together for the first time ideally and graphically some of the most precious and interesting European mining codices, thanks to the new and now widespread technologies and the use of digital images, and avoiding the transfer of the original documents. A series of explanatory panels present images and information relative to the documents and the geographical areas origin of the codices. These include the Tables of Aljustrel in Portugal, the Iura seu Statuta Illaviae civitatis , that is, the statute of the city of Iglau, now Jihlava , in the Czech Republic and the Ius Regale Montanorum of the city of Kutna Hora, the Breve di Villa di Chiesa , the statute of the city of Iglesias in Sardinia and other important codices from different parts of Europe. The exhibition was combined with two days of study during which the precious documents of the two host cities were examined and their historical  context analysed in their various relationships, also illustrating the social, and the more specifically mining, aspects.    

Horse-back trekking

“Three days of discovery of mining landscapes in an enchanted natural setting”

First edition of horse-back trekking in the Geological Mining Park of Sardinia.

A journey full of visual emotions and trips through history. An itinerary through new forms of landscape, natural monuments, geological and mining sites with unusual characteristics of great effect, and at the same time of considerable cultural significance. The programme offered the chance to repeat the unforgettable experience of trekking on horse-back with an itinerary in three stages combining the pleasures of sport, of traditional cuisine in geological and mining landscapes in a totally natural setting.

The initiative aimed to exploit the geographical context through the love that many people feel for horses and horse-riding and with an activity that combines perfectly with the harmony of the natural environment. The itinerary could be used not only for horse-trekking but also for walkers and cyclists, with the possibility of promoting similar initiatives of a sporting-environmental nature that would fit into the aims of the Park.

Nature, environment, culture and physical activity in the open air represent the guide lines inspiring  the philosophy of the initiatives of the park, achieving a true integration of culture and environment and a recovery of the historical memory of the mines and the entire area.