The Monteponi mine in the Iglesias region was one of the largest mining production centres in Italy. The site was used on and off in the XVII and XVIII centuries but became a state-of-the-art mine between the XIX and XX centuries.
The site is split into two main wells the first one, dated 1869 is named after Vittorio Emanuele II, while the second one called Sella, in honour of the member of parliament Quintino Sella, dates to 1874; lead, silver and zinc were extracted from this quarry.
The village extended around the industrial buildings and housed up to a thousand workers; the village of Monteponi had a hospital, school and nursery as well as a church dedicated to Santa Barbara.
Some of the buildings worth mentioning include the palazzo Bellavista the mine’s former management building built between 1865 and 1866 by the engineer, Adolfo Pellegrini.
