Reconstructing Old Mine Structures by Using Georeferenced Historical Maps: the Case of the “Cerasara” Mine of Caulonia and Roccella Jonica (Calabria - Southern Italy)

The historical memory of activities in old Calabrian mining areas has often been lost, leaving only documents as records for reconstructing structures and workings. Abandoned mining areas are frequently overtaken by spontaneous vegetation, which reclaims the spaces once occupied by mining activities. This process limits the overall view of the site and makes it difficult to locate the remnant structures. This work partially retraces the historical and mining development of the “Cerasara” mine, from which arsenopyrite was extracted during the period between the two world wars and until shortly after the end of the second conflict. The mining operations were granted to the Rumianca company, which took its name from the municipality of Rumianca (now Pieve Vergonte, in the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola province). At that time, Rumianca held mining concessions in various Italian regions, including Calabria. The mine is located within the municipal territories of Caulonia and Roccella Jonica, in the southern Ionian Calabria region. It is set in an environment of Mediterranean scrub and woodland, which have partially rewilded the area, making exploration and the identification of mining structures difficult. The study aims to develop a method capable, under certain conditions, of addressing the study of abandoned mining sites using old georeferenced mining maps, assessing their characteristics, and locating and identifying structures, even if they are hidden in dense vegetation or nearly buried under debris. These activities have been called for by local authorities (municipalities, park agencies, regional bodies) in order to reevaluate sites that once had a significant economic and industrial cultural impact on the local population. These sites could promote a sustainable economy based on geo-tourism.