The mining path of Santa Barbara in the Sulcis Iglesiente in Sardinia (Italy) between memory and re-use

The territory of Sulcis-lglesiente is characterized by the significant presence of abandoned mining sites (113 of the total 169 sites in Sardinia are present there). This paper focuses on the Mining Path of Santa Barbara (Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara), a 400 km long circular route, and aims to revive the memories of these places, proposing a geo-tourist path subdivided into 24 stops, for local economic conversion, from little-known mineral deposits to tourist sites. The path through the Geo- mining Park of Sardinia is in one of the oldest places in Europe. The first part of this paper is devoted to the cognitive study of Sulcis-lglesiente territory and of the case-study area. Following this, the authors propose a strategic tourist path for the Mining Path of Santa Barbara (the patron saint of miners and of everyone who deals with fire risks) in which it will be possible, not only to bring back the ancient paths of the miners (from home to work), but also to restore the fascinating mining infrastructure such as railways and roads, the main means of communication. The proposed strategic tourist route thus provides sustainable mobility and a communication tool of the various mining centers and with appropriate variations, can be crossed by trekking, cycling and on horseback using bridle paths. The data are collected in a geodatabase with information on the precise positioning of the signs and the points of interest with particular attention to geological, natural, architectural, historical and industrial archeology, in addition to the list of receptivity and museums. This paper ends by presenting the results of research.