Parco Minerario dei Piani Resinelli

The Piani Resinelli Mining Park preserves the industrial history of the mining district beneath the Grignetta. Its galleries document centuries of work extracting galena and other minerals from the mountains above Lake Como.

Why it matters

Mining at Resinelli has Renaissance-era origins; the earliest surviving document naming the mines dates to 1637. Extraction continued into the mid-twentieth century, and the structures were dismantled in 1958. The park preserves this history as an industrial landscape, complementing the better-known palaces and silk mills of the region.

What to notice

Miniera Anna is the gallery presented for guided visits, with a statue of Saint Barbara, patron saint of miners, at its entrance. Underground, the temperature remains around 10–12 degrees Celsius. The larger district also includes the Sottocavallo workings, arranged over seven levels around a central shaft, and Miniera Silvia, which has hosted occasional concerts. These sites show that the park preserves a broader mining landscape rather than a single gallery.

Context and history

The Resinelli mines formed part of the wider metalworking history of the Valsassina and Lecco area. Galena, a lead sulphide that can contain silver, was among the ores extracted. Mining continued into the mid-twentieth century, when the structures were dismantled in 1958. After safety works, Miniera Anna opened for guided visits in 2002. The park lies within Abbadia Lariana on a plateau shared among several municipalities at the foot of the Grignetta.