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46°07′06″N 11°07′36″E / 46.1183985°N 11.1267016°E / 46.1183985; 11.1267016 'Busa del Pomar' is an ancient silver mine located in the north of Italy, just north east Trento.

It is one of the major mines (locally called canope) that are part of the old Monte Calisio silver-mining complex.

Position and structure

The mine is situated at about 600 m asl and is located about 1 km from the village of Gardolo di Mezzo [Wikidata], near both to Masi Saracini and to Via Claudia Augusta.

The mine has three entrances: the lower entrance and the main entrance are connected and continue with a remarkable development of tunnels which are often unstable and passable with difficulty. The third entrance, unlike the previous ones, does not continue in depth but stops almost immediately.

• Lower Entrance
• Main Entrance
• Upper Entrance

Geology and extracted material

The deposit is of sedimentary origin and in particular is part of the last layer of limestone of Bellerophon Formation.

The mined ore consisted of galena containing significantly high percentage of silver.

Inside the mine are still observable small strands of barite.

• Strand of Barite
• Concretion

References

• Gruppo Grotte Gardolo, Esplorazione della ex miniera Busa del Pomar, "Natura Alpina", 25 (1974), n. 2, pp. 118–126

• Former mines
• Silver mines in Italy