The Exhibition Centre of the Aosta Valley Mining Park and the Cogne Mine

The Cogne mines, which have operated since the 15th century, are now a tourist attraction thanks to visits to the Aosta Valley Mining Park. The exhibition centre offers an overview of mining history and the lives of miners, with interactive experiences for all ages.
The history of the Cogne mines begins in the 15th century under the control of the bishop of Aosta. In 1679, they became the property of the Municipality of Cogne, and in the 20th century, of some Belgian entrepreneurs, thus initiating an important industrialisation. After closing in 1979, the Municipality became the owner again in 2014. The exhibition centre, opened in 2021 in the former Anselmetti village, is spread over two floors: the first dedicated to the centuries up to the 19th and the second to the 20th century. It also provides news about other mining sites in the Aosta Valley.
In the exhibition centre, visitors follow a historical path that starts from the Middle Ages. An area is dedicated to César-Emmanuel Grappein, who improved the working conditions of miners. Several spaces offer interactive experiences, including mineral transport simulations with sleds, drilling tools, and dynamite. Films, reconstructions, and photographs show the daily life of the miners with on-screen testimonies. The tour continues with a visit to the small train that transported the ore from Cogne to Eaux-Froides (Gressan) through a tunnel. At the exit, a cableway took the ore down to the Aosta steelworks. The visit ends at the arrival station of the cableway, which descended from the village of Colonna at 2,400 meters.