Furru e Conca Quarries
Calangianus, Sassari Province, Sardinia, Italy
Cave di Furru e Conca, Calangianus, Provincia di Sassari, Sardegna, Italia
Key Information
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The Furru e Conca Quarries are in Calangianus, Sassari Province, Sardinia, Italy, known for diverse minerals.
Research suggests they feature over 50 minerals, including rare ones like Babingtonite and Thortveitite.
The evidence leans toward a metamorphic origin, likely schists and gneisses, with possible hydrothermal activity.
It seems likely the quarries are small-scale, mainly for collectors, with limited historical mining details.
The area has a rich cultural history, tied to cork production and ancient sites, with a Mediterranean climate.
Geographic Location
The Furru e Conca Quarries are located in Calangianus, Sassari Province, in the northern part of Sardinia, Italy, an island in the Mediterranean Sea. Calangianus, about 6.2 km from the quarries, has a population of 4,086 and is part of the Gallura region, known for its granite landscapes and cork oak forests. Nearby settlements include Nuchis (7.8 km), Luras (8.4 km), Tempio Pausania (10.1 km), and Berchidda (10.2 km). The coordinates are 40° 52' 2'' North, 9° 13' 0'' East, placing it in a scenic area with historical significance.
Minerals and Geology
The quarries are renowned for over 50 minerals, including Actinolite, Albite, Allanite-(Ce), Almandine, Apatite, Axinite Group, Axinite-(Mn), Babingtonite, Bavenite, Beryl (including Aquamarine), Biotite, Calcioancylite-(Ce), Calcite, Chabazite (including Chabazite-Ca), Chlorite Group, Epidote, Fayalite, Feldspar Group (including Perthite), Fluorite, Garnet Group, Goethite, Graphite, Hematite, Heulandite Subgroup, Ilmenite, Kainosite-(Y), Kaolinite, Laumontite, Magnetite, Microcline, Muscovite, Opal, Orthoclase, Piemontite, Prehnite, Psilomelane, Pumpellyite Subgroup, Pyrite, Quartz (including Smoky Quartz), Rutile, Scheelite, Schorl, Stilbite Subgroup, Thortveitite, Titanite, Tourmaline, Uranophane, Vanadinite, and Zircon. Rare minerals like Babingtonite and Thortveitite make it a collector’s paradise.
The geological setting is part of Sardinia’s Hercynian basement, with high-grade metamorphism suggesting schists, gneisses, and migmatites. Multiple folding phases and a shear zone indicate complex deformation, with possible hydrothermal activity forming zeolites like Chabazite-Ca.
Mining and Culture
Historical details are limited, but the quarries likely focus on small-scale mineral collection, given Calangianus’s industrial history tied to cork since the 19th century. The town, known as the "Cork's Capital," has over 677 industries by 2012 and features historical sites like the 17th-century Church of St. Just and the 18th-century Santa Maria degli Angeli, which houses a cork museum. The area’s Bronze Age and Roman heritage, including the Tombs of the Giants, adds cultural depth.
Climate and Ecology
Sardinia’s Mediterranean climate brings hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The Gallura region’s cork oak forests, ecologically significant, surround the area, with potential local impacts from quarrying activities, though specifics are unclear.