Museo della Miniera e Parco Geominerario di Cave del Predil

The Raibl lead-and-zinc mine shaped the community of Cave del Predil for generations before extraction ended in 1990. Its galleries, mining equipment and documentary collections preserve both the industrial history of the site and the social history of the village.

Why it matters

The deposit was known in Roman times, while systematic mining developed from the eighteenth century. At its height, the mine extended through about 120 kilometres of galleries on nineteen levels, descending to 520 metres. The mine's closure in 1990 transformed the life of Cave del Predil, whose settlement had grown around the industry.

What to notice

The underground workings retain traces of extraction and transport, including galleries and rail infrastructure. The mining exhibition above ground brings together photographs, tools and other materials documenting the work and the community it sustained. Together, the industrial remains and the collections connect the geology of the ore body with the people who worked around it.

Context and history

Lead and zinc from Raibl made the mine one of Europe's significant sources of those metals. The preserved galleries form part of a geomining park and ecomuseum, while the former workers' village remains a central part of the site's historical landscape.