The La Costa di Sessa Gold Mine

Like all of Malcantone, the Monte Sceré region is rich in minerals. It is believed that various metals such as gold, silver, iron and lead were dug as early as the 18th century.
According to tradition, the first excavations were made here around 1785. At the dams of the Lisora river, however, there are piles of washed cobblestones, which indicate the remains of terraces that were used for gold mining (aurifodine) as early as Roman times.
For this reason, the Malcantone was included in the national inventory with the following designation: "One of the largest mineral districts in Switzerland".
By 2015 this mining site was completely abandoned and forgotten. Hidden by huge undergrowth, the entrance was buried and inaccessible, although in the past the miners had drilled an underground labyrinth of over 2 kilometers with galleries on 5 floors.
In two years of work, the main LEONILDE gallery, 375 meters long, was restored and made accessible to visitors.
This allows to discover the interesting and spectacular techniques from the world of mining.
In Switzerland today, the Sessa mine presents the only example of this type of gold mining.