Argentiera is a small town and a frazione in the comune of Sassari, in Sardinia, Italy. Located 43 km west from Sassari, it sits in a narrow valley on the coast of the Sardinian Sea. The town's name comes from the Latin argento, meaning silver.
Mining activity in the area dates back to the ancient era, beginning with the Romans. It was reopened in the 19th century by the Belgian mining company Società di Corr'e boi. The French writer Honoré de Balzac visited the village in 1838. The most florid period for the mining village was the 1940s, but the town declined after World War II and the mine was closed in 1963.
Today, Argentiera is home to a few small businesses that earn most of their income from tourism. It is considered one of the most important examples of industrial archaeology in Sardinia and is included in the Geological-Mining Park of Sardinia and preserved by UNESCO. In recent years, the town has experienced a small boom in the building and renovation of old buildings, notably the old mine.
Sources: Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, Wikipedia
Written by Sardinian
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