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  • Samples of tormalin and albite, Museo della Mineralogia e della Geologia  dell'Isola del Giglio.zoom in altra finestra
  • Copiapite and gesso on limonite, Museo della Mineralogia e della Geologia dell'Isola del Giglio.zoom in altra finestra

Museo della Mineralogia e della Geologia dell'Isola del Giglio [Mineralogical and Geological Museum of Giglio Island]

Housed in the former pump-room of Palazzina della Pro Loco, the Mineralogical and Geological Museum of Giglio Island was inaugurated on August 11, 2004.

Its exhibition itinerary is conceptually divided into three sectors, respectively dedicated to the birth of the island, its geo-mineralogical component and, finally, mining activities tied particularly to iron and granite. Most of the exhibits come from the collection of Florentine mineralogist Alessandro Fei who, between the 1970s and 1990s, collected some 500 samples of minerals, some of them personally found on the island, others acquired at exhibitions. Thanks to this and other acquisitions, the Museum today boasts one of the most complete collections of mineralogical varieties of Giglio Island. Rare pieces include world-unique specimens of disc-shaped black tourmaline and galena crystals with tabular habit. Historical photographs show some of the mineralogical localities, which no longer exist today.

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Texts by Elena Fani

English translation by Victor Beard

Last update 14/feb/2008