The 340-metre depth of Mina Eugènia

Mina Eugènia is a large set of mining facilities dedicated to the extraction of lead mineral, now abandoned and derelict. The largest construction consists of a shaft tower and two annex halls. The system included the extraction shaft, various loaders, crushers, and mineral washers. To take advantage of poorer mineral, there were two different shaft systems; the main one reaches a depth of 340 metres to the main gallery.

Mining in Bellmunt del Priorat has a history spanning centuries, yet the modern face of the site emerged under the Folch y Albiñana company. The operation became Minas del Priorato, S.A. in 1917. During the 1920s, the workforce reached its peak and the facilities were progressively expanded. A mining colony was built between 1915 and 1920 to house the miners, with additional blocks built until 1964. These structures stand today as a unique architectural departure from local traditions.

The site included an administrator's house built in 1905, notable for its decorated façade and a porch supported by twin columns. The complex also housed a laboratory, an infermeria, a menjador, an archive, and an economy. This was part of a set of facilities that included various housing blocks, some featuring porches and open galleries on the first floor.

Economic shifts led to a production decline during the 1960s as social costs rose and mineral prices fell. The mines reached their final closure in 1972, leading to the abandonment and flooding of the Sant Jacinto shaft, from which Mina Eugènia was exploited. Now protected as local cultural assets, the colony persists with some buildings acquired as second residences following the closure.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons