Mining Park Trail
Garavée Mill
The fourth point of the Mining Park Trail is the Garavée Mill and the Lisora stream.
At the confluence of two tributaries of the Lisora River near the waterfall, the remains of an important construction testify to the existence of a mill that was used to grind the products of a large area of the Middle Malcantone.
The mill was driven by the waters of the two tributaries that were channelled upstream through two channels to the back of the mill and channelled along the wall of the east side of the building to drive the wheels connected to the various millstones. This mill dates to the Middle Ages.
The products ground or crushed in this mill were rye, dried chestnuts, walnuts and, in more recent times, maize.
Lisora torrent
The tributary streams of the Lisora from Alpe Pazz and Nerocco, from Alpe di Monte and Cima Pianca, from Galbirona and waterfall of the Froda di Bombinansco, from Astano and from the Laghetto di Astano converge here. In this catchment area, which includes a fault system with gold-bearing rocks, water erosion has released and brought downstream particles of gold that have partly accumulated in the sands of this stream. Gold diggers wash these sands and find small gold particles. To search for gold in the streams of the Ticino Canton, it is necessary to apply for authorisation by contacting the Cantonal Museum of Natural History in Lugano.
