The Floristella Grottacalda Mining Park was established in 1991 and takes its name from two sulfur mines, active from the end of the 18th century to 1987 . It is one of the most important examples of industrial archeology in Southern Italy and extends over 400 hectares.
At the beginning of the 1900s, however, the sulfur mines in Sicily gradually went into crisis , since in America more advanced technologies began to be used for extraction and transport was also much more efficient. Following the wars then the extraction decreased further, until then all the mines were closed.
The life of the miners, including many children, was terrible. Very hard work, which consisted in picking the rock underground at very high temperatures and then transporting the sulfur to the surface, in bags that weighed up to 80 kg . Accidents were also frequent and many adults and children lost their lives in the mines . He risked his life for little money, while only the owners of the lands got rich.
The park
The park is a sort of large open-air museum and all the machinery and technologies used for the extraction, transport and smelting of sulfur are clearly visible . There are also the ruins of the service buildings, such as the infirmary and the quarters for the miners.
The park is also inserted in a beautiful natural setting , in the middle of a forest that also houses something special, the Fioristella maccalube . They are areas where gases and water rise to the surface carrying with them even mud , a natural phenomenon called cold volcanism. The name maccalube probably comes from the Arabic maqlub, which means land that revolts. There is also a sulphurous hot spring , coming from underground and rich in sulfur.
Photo from the official Facebook page of the Floristella Grottacalda Mining Park
On a hill is the sumptuous Palazzo Pennisi, the former residence of the family that owns the mines . It was built at the end of the nineteenth century and was also designed as a fortress that cannot be expelled by miners in the event of a revolt, in fact it is also equipped with slits and emergency exits.
Hours of the Mining Park
The Mining Park is open from 8 am to 2 pm every day from Monday to Saturday, except holidays and the visit, given the size of the park, takes about 3 hours. Free entry.
Localization and reviews
What to see around the mine
The Floristella-Grottacalda mining park is part of the province of Enna. Here you find the most beautiful places to visit around Enna .
Typical dishes of Enna and surroundings
Do you want to try the typical dishes in the Ennese area? Here you find what to eat in Enna and surroundings.
Here instead you find the typical Sicilian dishes in general.