002.63.Idrija

Idrija Mercury Heritage Management Center, Bazoviška 2, SI-5280 Idrija

Public

Republic of Slovenia

EŠD 4826

Mine, Development of new activities

The Anthony’s tunnel is one of the oldest preserved shafts of the Idrija mine. It was used for mining in the beginning of the 16th century. The tunnel is almost 300 m long. It is used to access the Chapel of the Holy Trinity, the shaft no. 20 and the Attems’ decline. In the cross section, it is oval and walled, but it was originally supported with the wooden beams. The floor is covered with concrete. The entrance tunnel has no tracks.

It is positioned at an altitude of 330 m; the length of the tunnel from the entrance to the shaft no. 20 is 292 m. The cross section of the tunnel is: 180 cm (the narrow part has two sections of 120 cm and 135 cm).

Stone, mortar, concrete.

1500

Idrija Mercury Mine

Anthony’s tunnel, originally called “the entrance tunnel” or “Der Einfahrt Stollen”, was opened at the very beginning of mining in Idrija, in 1500. It represented the communication between the surface and the underground. The carbon slate is excavated through the entire length the tunnel. Since the quantity of mineralised layers at this level was small, they followed the Skonca beds in the depth. The slate is geomechanically very bad supporting rock and requires the tunnels to be constantly supported. Therefore, in 1766, the tunnel was walled and arched with thick limestone blocks and mortar. After this procedure, it successfully defied the pressure. At the same time, it was also renamed in the “entrance tunnel of St. Anton” (St. Antony Einfahrt Stollen), after the patron of miners, St. Anthony of Padua.

Anthony’s tunnel is being preserved, secured and presented as important mining heritage of Idrija with exceptional universal values. In the area of Anthony’s tunnel there is the museum presentation of the history of mining, and 9 important geological profiles are also preserved. At the same time, it functions as a ventilation tunnel and as the emergency exit way for miners and visitors in case of extraordinary events. Within the museum presentation, the methods of mining in the Idrija pit, tools (špica - iron chisel, šlenger - hammer, rejštnga - crowbar, krutca - large hoe, pek – pick with sharp-pointed ends, trigl – a metal, trough-like vessel) and equipment, which was used in the initial stage of mining, are presented. Manual excavation and transport of ore are therefore graphically presented, whereby the difficult working conditions of the Idrija miners become especially evident. Different supports are also presented (steel, wooden rectangular, stone and concrete).

2357 Idrija – town, lot no. 1461/3.

No changes.

- 1994: museum presentation;
- 1994: damaged stone construction of the tunnel was replaced with steel supports. The space between TH arches was filled with oak beams.
- 2005: upgrade of the museum display;
- 2006–2007: rotten boards were replaced with concrete coating. Due to condensation and the consequently muddy and slippery floor, they arranged the concrete floor;
- scheduled supports maintenance.

good

Performing regular maintenance services by the programme, including status control and preservation, security and presentation of the heritage.

- The Cultural Heritage Register of the Republic of Slovenia;
- Ordinance on the proclamation of the technical heritage in the Idrija and its surroundings for cultural monuments of national importance. Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia no. 66/01, 55/02, 16/08;
- ZVKDS Restavratorski center. Konservatorski načrt Idrija - Antonijev rov. Ljubljana, Idrija, 2010;
- Rules on the designation and protection of natural values (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia no. 111/04, 70/06, 58/09, 93/10 and 23/15);
- Republic of Slovenia, Ministry of Culture. Starting points of the programme of the comprehensive protection of the cultural heritage and natural values, related with the Idrija ore deposit. Idrija, 2010;
- Idrija Mercury Mine. Rudarski projekt: Ureditev dostopa do j. št. 11 - Antonijev rov - j. št. 11. 1991;
- Idrija Mercury Mine. Rudarski projekt: Črpališče pri j. št. 11 v Antonijevem rovu. 1997;
- GEMING Ljubljana. Rudarski projekt: Sanacija Antonijevega rova v muzeju Rudnika živega srebra Idrija. 2004.

Mestni muzej Idrija

Miha Kosmač

2. 3. 2018

Never