For centuries Idrija with its mercury mine was considered to be the centre of scientific and technological progress in the region. History of mining in Idrija dates back to year 1490. By burning cinnabar ore, the mercury miners of Idrija mined over 13 per cent of the world production of this ore. It was the second oldest and biggest mercury mine in the world that had closed in 1995 due to commercial, geological and ecological reasons. Only Almadén mercury mine in Spain is bigger and dates back to Roman times. Both towns were so famous that their names were used in North America for mining towns of New Idria and New Almadén. Until first world war Idrija Mercury Mine was one of the best technically equipped mine in Europe. Some machines from 19th century were operating until 1948 and Čermak - Špirekova furnace was operating until closure of the mine in year 1995.
Administration of the Idrija Mercury Mine was housed in Castle Gewerkenegg (16th century) which dominates the town, nowadays it housesIdrija Municipal Museum which is taking care for regions rich technical and culture heritage. Idrija Mine Museum which is still part of Mercury Mine Idrija company and Idrija Municipal Museum run tourist mining shafts, geological, technological and ethnological sites that are together with monuments in town (theatre, warehouse, city hall, old town square, secondary school, Gewerkenegg Castle, miners' houses, Water barriers Klavže, etc.), nominated to become UNESCO world heritage protected site with name Idrija on the Mercury Route of the Intercontinental Camino Real
The development of the Mercury Route as part of the Intercontinental Camino Real was greatly influenced by the 1554 discovery of amalgamation in America. The process used mercury in acquiring silver and gold from ore and sparked a major increase in the demand for mercury (Idrija, Almadén). The metal was foremost exported to Mexico (San Luis Potosí) where it was used in silver mines. This discovery influenced the global development of manufacture, technology and trade in mercury as well as facilitated an intensive transfer of technological knowledge and changes in the global economy, social relations, science and culture.
Museum sites
The memory of the mining past has been preserved in the Anthony Shaft, the oldest part of the mine, today one of the oldest preserved mine entrances in Europe. The shaft was dug back in 1500, soon after mercury was first discovered. The museum tour is 1,300 metres long along an authentically preserved mine. From a multivision show in the former call-in room, professional guides take visitors through illuminated galleries with life-size mannequins which illustrate the various mining jobs, to the unique underground Chapel of the Holy Trinity, dating from the mid 18th century, the time of the greatest prosperity for the Idrija mine.
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