The first exploitation

The popular tradition attributes to a local farmer the discovery of copper ore deposits and they were first explored around 1700. In the early 18th century Count Perrone, in partnership with the lawyer Jean-François Ferrod, started the exploitation, building some factories in Valpelline and buying land and woods for timber supply.

From 1700 onwards, the mine changed ownership several times: from Ferrod to the Ansermin and Gachet families, from Constantin Rosset of Ollomont to the Argentier brothers, who built a mechanized system to empty the water from the underground.

The results were promising and led to a fair and reasonable profit: between the second half of the 18th century and the Napoleonic era the mine had more than two hundred employees.

The description of Nicolis de Robilant

A detailed description of the first process techniques can be found in the reports of the inspector Esprit-Benoît Nicolis de Robilant, who describes the operations during the second half of the 18th century. An initial sorting of the extracted raw material was done in the proximity of the mines. The ore was calcined over a layer of wood near Les Rey site (o buildings) in Ollomont, then sent by mule to the Valpelline foundries, which at that time were made up of two «elevated furnaces», fed by several hydroeolic turbines, located upstream of the village.

Page updated on 20/02/2024