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Montecatini Mine, Montecatini Val di Cecina, Pisa Province, Tuscany, Italyi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Montecatini Mine | Mine (Tourist Attraction) |
| Montecatini Val di Cecina | Commune |
| Pisa Province | Province |
| Tuscany | Region |
| Italy | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
43° 23' 29'' North , 10° 44' 18'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Mine (Tourist Attraction) - last checked 2024
Deposit first discovered:
1466
Kรถppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Montecatini Val di Cecina | 492 (2014) | 0.9km |
| Orciatico | 211 (2014) | 5.0km |
| Ponteginori | 464 (2014) | 6.3km |
| Saline | 1,143 (2014) | 6.9km |
| Il Cipresso | 101 (2014) | 8.8km |
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Caporciano Mine; San Demetrio Mine
Other Languages:
Italian:
Miniera di Montecatini (Miniera di Caporciano), Montecatini Val di Cecina, Provincia di Pisa, Toscana, Italia
This is a very old and very important copper mine within an ophiolitic formation where basaltic rocks with altered and mineralised gabbros are covered and surrounded by sedimentary formations.
This is surely one of the most ancient mines of Italy and certainly was used by the Etruscans since the 10th century B.C.
The mines are opened near the village of Montecatini Val di Cecina (about 1 km to the west) on the west side of Monte di Caporciano (which gave the synonym name for a reddish laumontite found there and called "caporcianite").
In these mineralised gabbro levels there were nodules of copper minerals; the ore body mainly consisted of chalcopyrite with bornite, chalcocite and minor copper, but many zeolites were also found.
Modern activity started about 1830 and ended in the early years of 1900 (1907?), producing 30,000 tonnes of copper.
The most recent geophysical prospections were made in the 1950s to evaluate the amount of remaining mineralised area, but no more work was done.
The last research work with a reprise of excavations was made in some lateral tunnels in 1950, 1955, 1957 and 1959, but the results were not good, and in 1963 the mine was definitively abandoned.
According to the English Wikipedia page, there is also an old copper mine located between the two old villages of Casaglia and Gello.
The MVC [Montecatini Val di Cecina] deposit is hosted in a 2 km wide and 200 m thick lens of basalt, tectonically embedded in Cretaceous shales (Palombini shale formation). Despite the strong disruption of the stratigraphy of the oceanic sequence, few relics of the original sedimentary cover (Jurassic radiolarite) are preserved at the top of the basalt, in the southern part of the outcrop. Thanks to the mining activity, we know that the bottom of the basalt lens is lined by several pluri-decametric lenses of serpentinite and gabbro. Larger, kilometric bodies of serpentinite and gabbro crop out one kilometre to the west of the MVC basalts. The basalt relics occurring on top of these serpentinite-gabbro outcrops (La Cavina) suggest that they could represent the original oceanic basement of the MVC basalt lens.
This is surely one of the most ancient mines of Italy and certainly was used by the Etruscans since the 10th century B.C.
The mines are opened near the village of Montecatini Val di Cecina (about 1 km to the west) on the west side of Monte di Caporciano (which gave the synonym name for a reddish laumontite found there and called "caporcianite").
In these mineralised gabbro levels there were nodules of copper minerals; the ore body mainly consisted of chalcopyrite with bornite, chalcocite and minor copper, but many zeolites were also found.
Modern activity started about 1830 and ended in the early years of 1900 (1907?), producing 30,000 tonnes of copper.
The most recent geophysical prospections were made in the 1950s to evaluate the amount of remaining mineralised area, but no more work was done.
The last research work with a reprise of excavations was made in some lateral tunnels in 1950, 1955, 1957 and 1959, but the results were not good, and in 1963 the mine was definitively abandoned.
According to the English Wikipedia page, there is also an old copper mine located between the two old villages of Casaglia and Gello.
The MVC [Montecatini Val di Cecina] deposit is hosted in a 2 km wide and 200 m thick lens of basalt, tectonically embedded in Cretaceous shales (Palombini shale formation). Despite the strong disruption of the stratigraphy of the oceanic sequence, few relics of the original sedimentary cover (Jurassic radiolarite) are preserved at the top of the basalt, in the southern part of the outcrop. Thanks to the mining activity, we know that the bottom of the basalt lens is lined by several pluri-decametric lenses of serpentinite and gabbro. Larger, kilometric bodies of serpentinite and gabbro crop out one kilometre to the west of the MVC basalts. The basalt relics occurring on top of these serpentinite-gabbro outcrops (La Cavina) suggest that they could represent the original oceanic basement of the MVC basalt lens.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsCommodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.Mineral List
44 valid minerals.
Rock Types Recorded
Select Rock List Type
Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 1 - Elements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| โ | Native Copper | 1.AA.05 | Cu |
| โ | Native Gold var. Electrum | 1.AA.05 | (Au,Ag) |
| โ | 1.AA.05 | Au | |
| โ | Native Tellurium | 1.CC.10 | Te |
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
| โ | Chalcocite | 2.BA.05 | Cu2S |
| โ | Djurleite | 2.BA.05 | Cu31S16 |
| โ | Anilite | 2.BA.10 | Cu7S4 |
| โ | Digenite | 2.BA.10 | Cu9S5 |
| โ | Bornite | 2.BA.15 | Cu5FeS4 |
| โ | Hessite | 2.BA.60 | Ag2Te |
| โ | Betekhtinite | 2.BE.05 | Pb2(Cu,Fe)22-24S15 |
| โ | Covellite | 2.CA.05a | CuS |
| โ | Sphalerite | 2.CB.05a | ZnS |
| โ | Chalcopyrite | 2.CB.10a | CuFeS2 |
| โ | Clausthalite | 2.CD.10 | PbSe |
| โ | Galena | 2.CD.10 | PbS |
| โ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| โ | Marcasite | 2.EB.10a | FeS2 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| โ | Cuprite | 4.AA.10 | Cu2O |
| โ | Tenorite | 4.AB.10 | CuO |
| โ | Magnetite | 4.BB.05 | Fe2+Fe3+2O4 |
| โ | Hematite | 4.CB.05 | Fe2O3 |
| โ | Quartz var. Agate | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| โ | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 | |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| โ | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
| โ | Aragonite | 5.AB.15 | CaCO3 |
| โ | Azurite | 5.BA.05 | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| โ | Malachite | 5.BA.10 | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| โ | Aurichalcite | 5.BA.15 | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| โ | Brochantite | 7.BB.25 | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 |
| โ | Linarite | 7.BC.65 | PbCu(SO4)(OH)2 |
| โ | Langite | 7.DD.10 | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 ยท 2H2O |
| โ | Posnjakite | 7.DD.10 | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 ยท H2O |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| โ | Andradite | 9.AD.25 | Ca3Fe3+2(SiO4)3 |
| โ | Titanite | 9.AG.15 | CaTiO(SiO4) |
| โ | Datolite | 9.AJ.20 | CaB(SiO4)(OH) |
| โ | Hemimorphite ? | 9.BD.10 | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 ยท H2O |
| โ | Diopside | 9.DA.15 | CaMgSi2O6 |
| โ | Prehnite | 9.DP.20 | Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2 |
| โ | Talc var. Steatite | 9.EC.05 | Mg3(Si4O10)(OH)2 |
| โ | 9.EC.05 | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 | |
| โ | Clinochlore | 9.EC.55 | Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8 |
| โ | var. Pennine | 9.EC.55 | Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8 |
| โ | Chrysocolla | 9.ED.20 | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 ยท nH2O, x < 1 |
| โ | Natrolite | 9.GA.05 | Na2Al2Si3O10 ยท 2H2O |
| โ | Thomsonite-Ca | 9.GA.10 | NaCa2[Al5Si5O20] ยท 6H2O |
| โ | Analcime | 9.GB.05 | Na(AlSi2O6) ยท H2O |
| โ | Laumontite | 9.GB.10 | CaAl2Si4O12 ยท 4H2O |
| โ | var. Caporcianite | 9.GB.10 | CaAl2Si4O12 ยท 4H2O |
| Unclassified | |||
| โ | 'Amphibole Supergroup' | - | AB2C5(T8O22)W2 |
| โ | 'Chlorite Group' | - | |
| โ | 'Diallage' | - | |
| โ | 'Saussurite' | - | |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | โ Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| H | โ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| H | โ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| H | โ Brochantite | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 |
| H | โ Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| H | โ Clinochlore | Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8 |
| H | โ Datolite | CaB(SiO4)(OH) |
| H | โ Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| H | โ Langite | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 · 2H2O |
| H | โ Laumontite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| H | โ Linarite | PbCu(SO4)(OH)2 |
| H | โ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| H | โ Natrolite | Na2Al2Si3O10 · 2H2O |
| H | โ Posnjakite | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 · H2O |
| H | โ Prehnite | Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2 |
| H | โ Talc var. Steatite | Mg3(Si4O10)(OH)2 |
| H | โ Talc | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
| H | โ Thomsonite-Ca | NaCa2[Al5Si5O20] · 6H2O |
| H | โ Clinochlore var. Pennine | Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8 |
| H | โ Laumontite var. Caporcianite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| B | Boron | |
| B | โ Datolite | CaB(SiO4)(OH) |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | โ Aragonite | CaCO3 |
| C | โ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| C | โ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| C | โ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| C | โ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | โ Quartz var. Agate | SiO2 |
| O | โ Amphibole Supergroup | AB2C5(T8O22)W2 |
| O | โ Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| O | โ Andradite | Ca3Fe23+(SiO4)3 |
| O | โ Aragonite | CaCO3 |
| O | โ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| O | โ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| O | โ Brochantite | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 |
| O | โ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | โ Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| O | โ Clinochlore | Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8 |
| O | โ Cuprite | Cu2O |
| O | โ Diopside | CaMgSi2O6 |
| O | โ Datolite | CaB(SiO4)(OH) |
| O | โ Hematite | Fe2O3 |
| O | โ Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| O | โ Langite | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 · 2H2O |
| O | โ Laumontite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| O | โ Linarite | PbCu(SO4)(OH)2 |
| O | โ Magnetite | Fe2+Fe23+O4 |
| O | โ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | โ Natrolite | Na2Al2Si3O10 · 2H2O |
| O | โ Posnjakite | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 · H2O |
| O | โ Prehnite | Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2 |
| O | โ Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | โ Talc var. Steatite | Mg3(Si4O10)(OH)2 |
| O | โ Talc | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
| O | โ Tenorite | CuO |
| O | โ Thomsonite-Ca | NaCa2[Al5Si5O20] · 6H2O |
| O | โ Titanite | CaTiO(SiO4) |
| O | โ Clinochlore var. Pennine | Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8 |
| O | โ Laumontite var. Caporcianite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| Na | Sodium | |
| Na | โ Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| Na | โ Natrolite | Na2Al2Si3O10 · 2H2O |
| Na | โ Thomsonite-Ca | NaCa2[Al5Si5O20] · 6H2O |
| Mg | Magnesium | |
| Mg | โ Clinochlore | Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8 |
| Mg | โ Diopside | CaMgSi2O6 |
| Mg | โ Talc var. Steatite | Mg3(Si4O10)(OH)2 |
| Mg | โ Talc | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
| Mg | โ Clinochlore var. Pennine | Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8 |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | โ Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| Al | โ Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| Al | โ Clinochlore | Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8 |
| Al | โ Laumontite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| Al | โ Natrolite | Na2Al2Si3O10 · 2H2O |
| Al | โ Prehnite | Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2 |
| Al | โ Thomsonite-Ca | NaCa2[Al5Si5O20] · 6H2O |
| Al | โ Clinochlore var. Pennine | Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8 |
| Al | โ Laumontite var. Caporcianite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | โ Quartz var. Agate | SiO2 |
| Si | โ Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| Si | โ Andradite | Ca3Fe23+(SiO4)3 |
| Si | โ Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| Si | โ Clinochlore | Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8 |
| Si | โ Diopside | CaMgSi2O6 |
| Si | โ Datolite | CaB(SiO4)(OH) |
| Si | โ Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| Si | โ Laumontite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| Si | โ Natrolite | Na2Al2Si3O10 · 2H2O |
| Si | โ Prehnite | Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2 |
| Si | โ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Si | โ Talc var. Steatite | Mg3(Si4O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | โ Talc | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
| Si | โ Thomsonite-Ca | NaCa2[Al5Si5O20] · 6H2O |
| Si | โ Titanite | CaTiO(SiO4) |
| Si | โ Clinochlore var. Pennine | Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8 |
| Si | โ Laumontite var. Caporcianite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | โ Anilite | Cu7S4 |
| S | โ Betekhtinite | Pb2(Cu,Fe)22-24S15 |
| S | โ Bornite | Cu5FeS4 |
| S | โ Brochantite | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 |
| S | โ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| S | โ Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| S | โ Covellite | CuS |
| S | โ Digenite | Cu9S5 |
| S | โ Djurleite | Cu31S16 |
| S | โ Galena | PbS |
| S | โ Langite | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 · 2H2O |
| S | โ Linarite | PbCu(SO4)(OH)2 |
| S | โ Marcasite | FeS2 |
| S | โ Posnjakite | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 · H2O |
| S | โ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| S | โ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | โ Andradite | Ca3Fe23+(SiO4)3 |
| Ca | โ Aragonite | CaCO3 |
| Ca | โ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| Ca | โ Diopside | CaMgSi2O6 |
| Ca | โ Datolite | CaB(SiO4)(OH) |
| Ca | โ Laumontite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| Ca | โ Prehnite | Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2 |
| Ca | โ Thomsonite-Ca | NaCa2[Al5Si5O20] · 6H2O |
| Ca | โ Titanite | CaTiO(SiO4) |
| Ca | โ Laumontite var. Caporcianite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| Ti | Titanium | |
| Ti | โ Titanite | CaTiO(SiO4) |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | โ Andradite | Ca3Fe23+(SiO4)3 |
| Fe | โ Betekhtinite | Pb2(Cu,Fe)22-24S15 |
| Fe | โ Bornite | Cu5FeS4 |
| Fe | โ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Fe | โ Hematite | Fe2O3 |
| Fe | โ Magnetite | Fe2+Fe23+O4 |
| Fe | โ Marcasite | FeS2 |
| Fe | โ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Cu | Copper | |
| Cu | โ Anilite | Cu7S4 |
| Cu | โ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| Cu | โ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| Cu | โ Betekhtinite | Pb2(Cu,Fe)22-24S15 |
| Cu | โ Bornite | Cu5FeS4 |
| Cu | โ Brochantite | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 |
| Cu | โ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Cu | โ Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| Cu | โ Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| Cu | โ Covellite | CuS |
| Cu | โ Cuprite | Cu2O |
| Cu | โ Native Copper | Cu |
| Cu | โ Digenite | Cu9S5 |
| Cu | โ Djurleite | Cu31S16 |
| Cu | โ Langite | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 · 2H2O |
| Cu | โ Linarite | PbCu(SO4)(OH)2 |
| Cu | โ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| Cu | โ Posnjakite | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 · H2O |
| Cu | โ Tenorite | CuO |
| Zn | Zinc | |
| Zn | โ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| Zn | โ Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| Zn | โ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| Se | Selenium | |
| Se | โ Clausthalite | PbSe |
| Ag | Silver | |
| Ag | โ Native Gold var. Electrum | (Au,Ag) |
| Ag | โ Hessite | Ag2Te |
| Te | Tellurium | |
| Te | โ Hessite | Ag2Te |
| Te | โ Native Tellurium | Te |
| Au | Gold | |
| Au | โ Native Gold var. Electrum | (Au,Ag) |
| Au | โ Native Gold | Au |
| Pb | Lead | |
| Pb | โ Betekhtinite | Pb2(Cu,Fe)22-24S15 |
| Pb | โ Clausthalite | PbSe |
| Pb | โ Galena | PbS |
| Pb | โ Linarite | PbCu(SO4)(OH)2 |
Other Databases
| Wikipedia: | https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniera_di_Caporciano |
|---|---|
| Wikidata ID: | Q3858429 |
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Montecatini Mine, Montecatini Val di Cecina, Pisa Province, Tuscany, Italy