Today, it is part of the Historical and Environmental Geomineral Park of Sardinia and has recently been included in the Santa Barbara Mining Trail, a route that highlights the island’s industrial and natural heritage.
Among the first mines to start extracting zinc calamine in the second half of the 19th century, Sa Duchessa was central to the area’s economic development between 1850 and 1870. The Société des Mines et Fonderies de Zinc de la Vieille-Montagne built the road from the Grotta di San Giovanni to the village of Sa Duchessa, facilitating transport and mining operations. Interestingly, this same company was indirectly responsible for the construction of the aqueduct that still supplies the municipality of Domusnovas today, leaving a lasting mark on the territory.
According to this recent study, the mine could have been in use as far back as the 1st millennium BCE.
Today, visiting the site, one can sense its historical and strategic importance: not only as a mining center but also as a hub of the industrial and water network of Sulcis Iglesiente. For those interested in the mining history of Sardinia, Sa Duchessa represents an emblematic example of how extraction activities have shaped the landscape, infrastructure, and local communities.