INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY

The Paper Mill Valley represents today an extremely valuable industrial archaeology heritage site. Between the years 2002 an 2006 excavation works carried out by the University of Padua have unearthed the remains of the paper mills in Gatto Maina Superiore e Maina di Mezzo. The course of the research, within the framework of an ethnography archaeological project promoted by the Municipality of Toscolano Maderno, and by ASAR the “Associazione Storico Archeologica della Riviera del Garda (the archaeological and Historical Society of the Riviera) under the scientific direction of Prof. Gian Pietro Brogiolo (full professor of Medieval Archaeology at the university of Padua) the scientific coordination of Dr. Lisa Cervigni (University of Padua) and under the supervision of the Department of Architectural Heritage of Brescia, Mantua and Cremona. The excavation project have brought to light the remains of three paper mills, covered with rubble and dense vegetation, characterised by similar features, architectural styles and production phases datable from 15th Century to the 20th Century. Of  noteworthy relevance was the discovery of a set of intact stone vats where rags were beaten by the hammers and different building involved in the process of manufacturing handmade paper.