Rocca San Silvestro was a fortified village established in the 10th century specifically to house miners and their families.
The Temperino Mine offers a subterranean journey through rock strata featuring copper, lead, silver, and zinc minerals.
The site was abandoned in the early 14th century following the decline of mining activities and the rise of other regional power centers.
The park's mining train travels along tracks historically used for transporting ores from the extraction sites to the processing plants.
Archaeologists recovered over 20,000 artifacts from the site during the initial excavation campaigns in the 1980s.
The Parco Archeominerario di San Silvestro is a sprawling open-air museum detailing over a millennium of mining history in the Val di Cornia. The site features the Temperino Mine, an underground tunnel system where visitors can observe various mineral deposits and extraction methods. The park complex includes the medieval mining village of Rocca San Silvestro, which was abandoned in the 14th century. A narrow-gauge industrial train takes visitors through the mining galleries. The museum center houses artifacts related to the smelting and processing of copper, lead, and silver ores. Archaeological excavations on the hill reveal the original layout of the fortified village and its living quarters. Interactive exhibits explain the geological evolution of the Campiglia Marittima region. The park is managed as part of the Parchi della Val di Cornia network.
The panoramic viewpoint from the ruins of the Rocca San Silvestro village looking out toward the Mediterranean Sea.
Wear a light jacket regardless of the outside temperature, as the interior of the mine remains consistently cool year-round.
Bring sturdy walking shoes with good grip for the uneven, steep trails connecting the village to the mining areas.
Use the provided shuttle train to conserve energy, as the site covers a significant geographic area.
Do not attempt to explore the site without water or sun protection, as the trail between the village and the museum is exposed.
Closed on Mondays; open daily during summer months; may have reduced capacity or closures during winter.
Closed-toe shoes are mandatory for the mine tour; do not touch the geological specimens inside the tunnels.
