Serifos Mines
Serifos Mines
Plants of the iron ore extraction located in the settlement of Megalo Livadi in Serifos. Mines are a significant
part of the history of Serifos. Certain galleries and plants exist still for the visitors to see in the southwest side
of the island (Koutalas, Megalo Chorio or Mia Chorio, Μegalo Livadi).
The soil of Serifos, rich in ore deposits, became a source of wealth for the Gromman family that undertook the
mining of iron ores by assuming the administration of the "Serifos – Spiliazeza" Company.
The company was founded by the French mining company of Lavrio and the neoclassical building that used
to house the company’s headquarters located in the settlement of Megalo Livadi in the southwest side of the
island exists until today.
The exploitation of Serifos mineral resources by Emilios Gromman began in 1885, when he contracted with
the company.
The neoclassical building that used to house the company’s headquarters located in the settlement of Megalo
Livadi of SerifosGromman virtually compelled many inhabitants of the island to work in the galleries asking
them to forfeit their land or forcing them to give it over to him against a miserable wage.
During this period, the island's population increased by approximately 2,000 people since workers came from
other islands of the Aegean (Paros, Karpathos, Amorgos, etc.) as well as from other regions of Greece (e.g.
Peloponnisos) to work in the mines.
Working conditions in the mines were very harsh, and according to the historians, thousands of workers lost
their lives in the mine galleries due to the inhuman working conditions and to the lack of safety measures.
Mine galleries in the southwest side of Serifos. The exploitation of human labour continued even after Emil
Gromman’s succession by his son Georgios.
The workers were forced to be at the galleries at dawn and leave at sunset and since their homes were found in
remote regions of Serifos they would have to walk several kilometres across the paths of the island to reach the
mines.
Certain of these paths exist to date in the island, such as the one leading from the region of Giftika to Chora
and it is part of an old miners' path.
Aquatec.gr _ 2016