The Argentario Ecomuseum was born in order to protect and enhance the medieval mines of the Monte Calisio near Trento. It organizes educational paths, guided tours, excursions and research projects dedicated to the local history and natural environment. The ore deposits of Calisio were exploited since the Middle Ages for silver, hence the name of the Ecomuseum. In order to regulate the mining activity, in the XIII century the Prince Bishop of Trento wrote a specific chapter in the CodexWangianus, a collection of rules that is considered one of the first mining law in Europe. The miners came from the Germanic regions, so they are named “canòpi” from the old German word knappen. The mines, called “canòpe”, are very different from the modern galleries: theyare a network of narrowand labyrinthic tunnels, following the shape of the mineral vein. The Ecomuseum opened to the public the Canòpa delle Acque, and is going to open others mines in the future. The mines are not set-up as a museum, so the visit is a speleological tourthat can be only made with an expert guide, equipped with a coverall, a helmet and a flashlight. The mining area is surrounded by a suggestive natural environment,
with many kilometres of hiking paths and the beautiful Lake of Santa Colomba, at the bottom of which, according to the legend, lies the ancient village of the “canòpi”.
https://www.strahlen.org/forum/index.php/topic,27293.0.html
