Sao Domingos Mine, Copper mine in Corte do Pinto, Portugal
Sao Domingos Mine is a copper extraction site in Corte do Pinto featuring mining buildings, extraction structures, and water basins stained red from high iron content in the excavated landscape. Across the terrain, abandoned structures stand as evidence of past mining operations.
Romans first extracted gold and silver from this location, but it was rediscovered in 1854 when Nicolau Biava began copper mining operations. This shift marked the beginning of a major industrial enterprise with far-reaching economic ties.
The site reflects how workers and managers lived in separate areas, revealing the social divisions that shaped daily life in this industrial community. You can still see how space was arranged to reinforce these differences.
The site is accessible year-round and gives you a sense of the abandoned mining operations across the landscape. A museum housed in a former worker's cottage displays tools and personal items from miners.
A historic railway connected the mine to the port of Pomarão, where copper ore was loaded for shipment to England. This transport link was essential to making the entire operation economically viable.
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