Poggio la Strega quarries, Borgo Carige, Capalbio, Grosseto Province, Tuscany, Italyi

Regional Level Types
Poggio la Strega quarries	Group of Quarries (Abandoned)
Borgo Carige	Village
Capalbio	Commune
Grosseto Province	Province
Tuscany	Region
Italy	Country

The “Pozza del Lino” Gypsum Quarry and Mineralogical Prospecting in the Area

Historical Context and Mining Activities
The gypsum quarry known as Pozza del Lino, active prior to 1967, is located near two smaller quarries called Poggio la Strega. The latter were reported in 1953 as signs of antimony mineralisation considered of little interest. However, in 1967, the situation changed with the request submitted by AMMI S.p.A. Industria Mineraria Chimica e Metallurgica of Rome, already operating the Manciano mine, for the prospecting rights called “Pozza del Lino”, aimed at exploring deposits of mercury and antimony.

Mineralogical Discoveries
The start of prospecting was prompted by the discovery, during gypsum excavation at the Pozza del Lino quarry, of samples of stibnite embedded in the gypsum. These were also accompanied by traces of cinnabar, which in some cases directly coated the stibnite crystals, giving them a peculiar aspect that attracted the interest of mineral collectors. In some cases the cinnabar formed small, but graceful, globular cinnabar concretions (locally called "cinnabar strawberries").

Perimeter of the Prospecting Permit
The “Pozza del Lino” prospecting permit also encompassed areas where stibnite crystals had been found within limestone of varying degrees of silicification. In these sites — especially at Poggio la Strega — small whitish crystals of barite were also present, enriching the area’s mineralogical profile.

Incorrect Labelling in the Mineralogical Community
Within the Italian community of mineral collectors, samples from both Pozza del Lino and, more specifically, from Poggio la Strega have sometimes been erroneously labelled with the place name “Torre Carige”. However, this name does not appear in any official or informal source. It is likely that this confusion arose from its similarity to Borgo Carige, a village in the municipality of Capalbio, from which the so-called Gypsum Quarry road begins.

Possible Misunderstandings Regarding Provenance
It is not uncommon for samples taken from the Pozza del Lino gypsum quarry and the Poggio la Strega quarries to be generically indicated as originating from “Capalbio” or “Capita.” This practice can give rise to confusion, particularly because there are also stibnite samples from other mining researches as at “Campo delle Miniere”, located on the slopes of Monte Capita and Poggio la Castellaccia, just north of the village of Pescia Fiorentina. Such overlaps in labelling highlight the need for precise identification of the true provenance of mineral specimens from Capalbio area.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References