The oldest written evidence of iron mining in the Ossola Valley dates back to 21 July 1217. It was a lease granted by the Bishop of Novara for a kiln, some woods, an aqueduct and some mines. The extraction and working of iron suffered a sharp slowdown at the beginning of the 18th century, in favour of resuming the cultivation of vines. At the end of the 18th century, thanks to a major entrepreneurial push, a new “Iron Age” was reactivated for this portion of Val d’Ossola: the history of the steel industry of Villadossola began, of which some evidence remains along this route.
No item found