Sinnai, a documentary on the silver road

He describes himself as "a simple enthusiast of hiking and documentary videography. I'm not a professional, but for some time now, out of passion, I've loved to use images to tell the story of those often forgotten places, yet of great historical and environmental value."

This is how Emiliano Franciosi, a Roman who has lived in Sinnai for 25 years, introduces himself. Last May, he broke the deadlock by deciding to produce a documentary film, a journey to discover the Silver Route . A 53-kilometer hike from Mount Serpeddì (Sinnai) to Mount Narba in the San Vito area, where, from the early 19th century until a hundred years ago, silver was mined in large quantities.

Nine mines along this extraordinary route, with Emiliano Franciosi, a master cameraman, and three Cagliari residents as protagonists: Andrea Orrù, Marcello Corona, and Adriana Palmas, all environmental enthusiasts, particularly this extraordinary site of Sarrabus Gerrei. The presentation of Franciosi's documentary film is scheduled for November 28th at 7:30 pm in the conference room of the Vab Sinnai Association headquarters, in the Sinnai industrial area.

"The film," Franciosi explains, "is set in southeastern Sardinia, in the Sarrabus-Gerrei subregion. Specifically, in the areas of Sinnai, Burcei, and San Vito. It will lead you to discover a beautiful, often rugged and desolate, landscape where mining and human activity, starting in the 19th century, have left tangible traces of their presence. A journey that tells the story of the famous, most important silver mine in Italy."

In these parts, silver was mined at depth. The crisis began with the discovery of open-pit silver deposits, which made mining in these parts no longer competitive.

"One of my journeys," the hiker continues, "starts from the town of Sinnai by off-road vehicle to the Musui forest. Then I travel on foot along the mining trail to Monte Narba, between the Burcei and San Vito areas. The documentary film, which also featured the students of the Sinnai library, aims to raise awareness of this wonderful area, and to promote the valorization of these places of memory, worthy of respect and greater interest."

The presentation will be free and open to the public. In addition to the film screening, there will be an opportunity to learn more about this fascinating mining journey. Sandro Mezzolani, an expert in mining archaeology, will also speak.