Metalliferous Hills: 4 museums to visit

The MAGMA - Museum of Cast Iron Arts of the Maremma, located in the heart of Follonica, is one of the main museums in the Tuscan Maremma and allows visitors to take a virtual journey through time and space in order to retrace the process of cast iron production. Considered a gateway to the Technology and Archaeology Park of the Grosseto Metalliferous Hills, it tells the story of the Italian iron and steel industry inside, thanks in part to an engaging multimedia exhibit. Moreover, the museum offers numerous events and hands-on workshops suitable for the whole family.

The Massa Marittima Museum of Mining Art and History is an essential place to learn deeply about the history of the Metalliferous Hills. The exhibit consists of four rooms including educational panels and displays of objects and tools used by miners in the area. The many characteristic objects include: carbide lamps, measuring instruments for measuring tunnels, a rich collection of minerals from the area, specialized tools and a wooden reconstruction of a mining shaft.

The Massa Marittima Mine Museum is an evocative museum space that is the result of the transformation of an old quarry of construction material that became, first a shelter during World War II, and then an exhibition space. The museum route is about 700 meters long and consists of main and secondary galleries from which to learn about the different techniques of material extraction. Among the exhibits are working tools, machinery and several wagons. At the museum it is, in addition, possible to book excursions and guided tours to places of geo-mining interest.

The MUBIA is a geomuseum located in the Biancane Park in Monterotondo Marittimo and aims to show visitors the underground causes that determine the geodiversity of the park itself. MUBIA is the meeting of culture and science, combining knowledge of geothermal phenomena with the description and formation of minerals and rocks. The most innovative aspect of MUBIA is the "geo-ship": a huge black sphere over 10 meters in diameter that can be accessed in groups. The geo-ship is meant to take visitors on an immersive multimedia journey that reveals the specifics that make the Biancane Park so unique.

MUBIA's opening hours are: Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. It is also possible to take guided tours and rent an audio guide and 3D viewer to make the most of all the attractions in the museum.