history                

 

.After the disbandment of the "giudicato" of Arborea, it became a fief firstly of the Carroz and in 1603 of the Centelles who were respectively Counts and Marquises Quirra; it was later ceded to the Osorio. Already in 1131, the silver mines of the Guspinese area, as well as those already existing in the"gėudicato" of Arborea, had been conceded to the Genoans who carried out triai soundings and gave impetus to productėon which, however, underwent considerable decline during the period of Aragonese and Spanish domination. Mining activity began to flourish again only under the house of Savoy during which period, in order to give an impetus to production, the government issued general mining concessions in return for one fifth of income. Again in.the l8th century, the company which rnanaged the mines, wishing to privilege the activity of the foundries, let the mines as a sub-concession and Montevecchio was taken over by a mining cartel consisting of miners who, together with the carters, formed "Compagnia Mineraria" (mining company).In the l9th century, the State once again took over direct management and in 1847 in order to increase production and rationalise its services, this enterprise became of international importance under the giudance of the Durand-Passadoro, and later Guerrazzi societies.The production of silver and lead in the Guspinese area provided raw materiais for the foundry of San Gavino which was constructed in 1932 as a result of the autarchic nationai policy then in vogue for the purpose of processing these minerals. At the present time this mining centre, the production of which is declining steadily, comes under the control of the S.A.M.I.N.Society.Thus for centuries the main activity in this area was mining, side by side with farming, and this led to the growth among the inhabitants of the region of a well deveioped sense of democracy and a realisation the value of the co-operative principle. There were in fact numerous examples of the imposition of popular demands, put forward in an increasingly decisive manner, and often leading to episodes of violence.Aiready in the l8th century the numerous agricultural labourers without lands of their own, guided by a parish priest with a true anti-feudal spirit reclaimed the marsh of Urradili, which is now one of the most fertile areas of the Guspinese and by threatening open revolt, they obtained the ownership of this area. A true revolt took place in 1848 against the rnetric decimal system adopted in 1844, against the price of sait and for the abolition of enclosures.This uprisėng, during which the Town Clerk died, was overcome only by the intervention of a group of 60 riflemen and ended with several death sentences The atrocious working conditions in the mines led to increasingiy frequent protests and finally in 1903 the workers formed leagues of resistance. During the twenty year period of Fascism, there were numerous occasions onwhich the population clearly demonsI their hostility to the regime.