Discovering the Oltre il Colle Mineralogic Museum

The "laveria"

The "laveria" was a building where a further and more accurate selection of the mineral took place. The mineral was washed and cleaned from ground and sand and then it was broken into little pieces that were checked by women ("cernitrici" = selecters). The plant included the storage bin. A small hydroelectric power plant provided energy for the machines. The "laveria" mainly worked in the summer. In fact, during the winter, the ice could block the works, for whom water was necessary. In order to avoid this problem, some tanks were built, but snow and ice often blocked the transportation from the mines to the laveria.