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.
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