For Over 150 Years, Talc Exploration and Extraction in the Chisone And

or over 150 years, talc exploration and extraction in the workers at hydroelectric stations, electricians and drivers. At its Chisone and Germanasca Valleys offered the greatest num- peak of expansion, the company employed over 600 people Fber of job opportunities as an alternative to migration. from the valley area. Until the mid-1800s, talc extraction was limited to exploitating The activity of “Talco e Grafite Val Chisone” continued until the small outcrops of the deposit at high altitudes. It was used in the late 1980s when it was taken over by the “Luzenac Val Chisone” form of soapstone to make everyday tools and utensils such as Company, a world leader in talc production.. In February 2006, irons, pans for the tourtèl (large ravio- the Luzenac Val Chisone Company li), inkpots, bed warmers, and drinking GRUPPO DI MINATORI © PRO LOCO SALZA became part of the “Rio Tinto troughs for farm animals... Minerals” Group, a leading interna- In the second half of the 19th century, tional producer of industrial minerals. numerous businessmen undertook the Mining continues inside the only exist- mining adventure with varying ing mine, Rodoretto. degrees of success, opening sites at Maniglia and Malzas (Perrero), at To celebrate 100 years of mining the Sapatlé, Pleinet, Envie and Crosetto famed “Bianco delle Alpi” (the White of (Prali) and at Fontane (Salza di the Alps), the Ecomuseo Regionale delle Pinerolo). Miniere e della Val Germanasca This period was characterised by the (Regional Ecomuseum of Mines and the extreme contiguity of the sites, by Germanasca Valley) and the “Rio Tinto controversies concerning the conces- Minerals - Luzenac Val Chisone” sions and by a lack of clarity in mining Company, in collaboration with the legislation. This ended with the found- Piedmont Region and the Comunità ing of the “Talco e Grafite Val Montana Valli Chisone e Germanasca, Chisone” (the Val Chisone Talc and have organised an exhibition entitled Graphite) Company in July 1907 and “TALC…the valleys, stories and people”. the gradual absorption of all the small- This exhibition aims at promoting the er companies, in particular the “Anglo local heritage, with special attention to Italian Talc and Plumbago Mines Company”, which triggered a mining themes, but above all, it wants to achieve these objectives real phase of industrial organisation. with the involvement and participation of the people, to increase An impressive investment in technical and financial resources (8 their sense of belonging to their territory and sharing a cultural million lire of Italian capital and a head office in Pinerolo) provid- identity. ed an impetus for mining activity in the valleys. The number of This historical retrospective was made possible thanks to the pre- employees increased considerably: not only the miners, but also cious contribution of all those who participated in the initiative by blacksmiths, sawyers, carpenters, builders, telpher operators and providing testimonies, pictures, and documents. mines in cooperation with a trustworthy technician, the owned property. By defrauding the private individuals and small …HISTORY accountant D. Sartorio. For years, the main product of the com- local enterprises who had owned the property up to that time, pany (which continued to expand with the acquisition of the the Talco & Grafite Company took over nearly all the talc and The earliest exploration for minerals in the Chisone and Vinçon and Berthelot companies) was graphite, but in 1907 graphite production in the area by gradually absorbing the Germanasca valleys goes back many generations, to a period some Austrian businessmen, troubled by Italian imports (espe- smaller companies. Therefore, the granting of the government from which no reliable documents have survived. cially in Germany), set up a new company with the help of the concession (for a term of 99 years) was needed to exploit the Among the most important activities were surely the quarries of banker Roberto De Fernex. mining deposits. Val Germanasca, which have been producing excellent quality This is how the “Talco e Grafite In view of the imposing propor- marble since the 15th century. This marble was used for the Val Chisone – S.V.C.” Company tions that talc extraction was monuments and palazzos of Turin (the façade of the Duomo, the based in Pinerolo was created in assuming in Sardinia between pillars of the Royal Palazzo, the Villa Reale of Racconigi, statues July 1907. It took over all the 1929 and 1930, a process began on the façade of Palazzo Madama, etc.). The extraction of dior- tangible and intangible assets of to acquire the mines in the ite from the quarries of Malanaggio (Porte) and Perosa Argentina the previous company and the province of Nuoro, made possi- was also very successful, as was the extraction of chalcopyrite new shares where bought out ble by the constitution of the from the mines of Bet in the municipalities of Massello and by the “De Fernex” banking “Talco Enrico Tron &. Co” (which Pragelato. Company (majority sharehold- had been doing business with Nevertheless, the extraction of graphite and, above all, talc was er). The new company gave a S.V.C for some years). the fulcrum of the mining activity which continues today with a big boost to the mining activity, S.V.C.’s activity continued to variety of very fine talc products known as the famous “Bianco such that in 1909 the “Italiana expand and the opening of the delle Alpi” (The White of the Alps). PALA CARICATRICE SU ROTAIE © SARTORIO Grafiti” company became a new mines of Gianna (1935), leading producer of the mineral. Paola (1937), Vittoria (1941), “Società Internazionale de Talc de Luzenac”. The Challier, Martin MINATORe AL CARREGGIO © ECOMUSEO Its success was also due to the S.Pietro (1947) and Carla (1955) and Martelli companies also operated in the area of Fenestrelle; competence of the mining coincided with the construction GRUPPO DI MINATORI © PRO LOCO SALZA the Ponzet, Marcellin, Challier and Co. at Pragelato; Fedele expert C. Salton, who in those of transport services and systems. Francesco & Co., Ghigo and Griglio companies at Prali; the years was technical manager of The mechanical equipment was Jourdan and Cullati companies at Roure, and Berthelot & the S.V.C. Company. The production of graphite, which up to improved, the mills were updated and modernised (both the Company at Salza. that time dominated mineral sales, began to show the first signs building structure and machinery), the road system was An acquisition phase began in 1885 which saw the the more of a crisis. This was mainly attributable to the appearance on the renewed and hydroelectric plants were built, giving the compa- powerful companies taking over smaller ones, with the sale of market of American competition; therefore, it was only logical to ny independence when it came to electricity requirements. Mr Sery’s holdings to Count E. Brayda. concentrate on talc mining. The tenacity of chairman De Fernex In order to eliminate any local competition, S.V.C. acquired the On 27 August 1887, as the exploitation of the mines died down, set off a new campaign of acquisitions and exploration conduct- “Societé Internationale de Talc de Luzenac” in 1956. some concessionaries, among which the Count of S.Martino, the ed by the engineer E. Ridoni. He first acquired ownership of the Time brought with it the first signs of a crisis and some deposits Englishman Huntriss and Brayda himself, formed the “Anglo “De Giorgis – Elleon” (1/3 Fontane), “Cav. Giovanni Tron” (1/3 ran out. This was followed by the closing of the mining sites of Italian Talc and Plumbago Mines Company” of Liverpool. These Maniglia, ? Roure, ? Crosetto) and “Eredi Cirillo Tron” (? Malzas (October 1960), Comba La Fracia – Sapatlé e Pleinet were years of great innovation. In fact, an audacious project by Crosetto) companies and then (1961), La Roussa (April 1963), Count Brayda led to the opening of the “Gran Courdoun” at the continued with the difficult Envie (October 1963) and end of the century. This project connected the high-altitude sites negotiations to take over the Maniglia (March 1968). The (Sapatlé and Malzas – in the municipalities of Prali and Perrero) “Eredi Giuseppe Tron” company. remaining mines were restruc- to the carriage road at the bottom of the valley. These years also At the time of De Fernex’s death tured into three sections: saw the creation of an industrial plant to mill the minerals (the in February 1919, the chairman- Gianfranco, Gianna and Crosetto, Malanaggio Mill at Porte). ship was taken over by board the Paola mine was joined to the At the same time, the disagreements between the Italians and member Pietro Villa (who in Gianna mine and the Vittoria English concerning company management became irremedia- 1918 entered into the company’s mine was closed for good. Activity ble, especially after the construction of the “Gran Courdoun” shareholding with the sale of the continued at a fast pace and new which the partners across the Channel considered too Scotto Jute Factory which later systems were introduced leading grandiose. After suddenly firing the directors Martino and became a plant for producing to greater production efficiency: Brayda in 1902, Huntriss took over the management of the electrodes in Pinerolo). A few the blades of the loading …the various stages months later, the much sought- machines where placed on tracks, In 1780, the General Council of the Communities of Val Chisone SEDE S.V.C. A PINEROLO © ECOMUSEO after merger with the “Eredi a compressed air mechanised met in Fenestrelle on the invitation of the Provincial Giuseppe Tron” Company (1/3 plant was added to the gob Superintendent to ensure that the Reali Patenti of 28 April were Fontane,1/3 Maniglia, ? Roure ?, (which later allowed for the use of being followed.

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