Ex Miniere di Zolfo

The Former Sulphur Mines in the Municipality of Tufo were used for mining until the second half of the 20th century.

It is said that the industrial history of the village began back in 1866, when Mr. Francesco Di Marzo came across two shepherds burning strange stones to warm themselves while out for a hunt: from the acrid smell released by the combustion, he realised that it was sulphur. It was not long before he discovered the deposit on the right bank of the river Sabato, in an area geologically very different from the nearby left bank. That episode gave rise to the Di Marzo mining company which, together with the Società Anonima Industrie Minerarie di Altavilla Irpina (Altavilla Irpina mining company), constituted a huge source of employment for an area, until then known exclusively for the production of Greco di Tufo DOCG wine.

The mining operations lasted intensely for almost a century, until a gradual decline that began from the second post-war period, in part due to competition with American sulphur, extracted at very competitive costs. In Tufo, the mines remained active until the early 1960s and mining continued until 1972, while the company was finally wound up in 1992. The presence and availability of sulphur then aided the explosion of vine cultivation throughout Irpinia, giving rise to the so-called "sulphuring" technique, which protected the grapes from external pathogens. 

Today, the exploitation of this wealth is at the centre of the idea for an industrial archaeology project aimed at reviving a business success story in the green Irpinia.