Casale di Pari road tunnels, Casale di Pari, Civitella Paganico, Grosseto Province, Tuscany, Italyi

Regional Level Types
Casale di Pari road tunnels	Group of Tunnels (Active)
Casale di Pari	Village
Civitella Paganico	Commune
Grosseto Province	Province
Tuscany	Region
Italy	Country

Mineralogical Discoveries during Works on State Road 223

Introduction
The modernisation works on State Road 223, which forms part of the broader E78 route, marked a significant moment of transformation for the area stretching from Casal di Pari, in the province of Grosseto, to the Farma stream, which defines the border with the province of Siena. Starting from the 1960s, this region has seen numerous construction sites that have not only altered the local road network but also improved accessibility and knowledge of certain mineralogical outcrops of particular interest.

Road Works and Mineralogical Discoveries
During the phases of both surface and underground excavation, interesting mineralisations were uncovered. These finds were documented thanks to the work of collectors who, taking advantage of the piles of debris heaps from the construction of tunnels or the surrounding outcrops made visible by the works or more easily accessible thanks to new site roads, gathered representative samples. Over time, however, these piles of debris have become less and less productive, as they have been covered by non-mineralized debris or overtaken by spontaneous vegetation that has grown back vigorously over the construction areas.

The Casal di Pari Tunnels
One of the main sources of mineralogical samples was the material extracted during the building of the two road tunnels named “Casal di Pari”, after the nearby village above. The eastern tunnel, completed in 1974 and 1,550 metres long, presented considerable hydrogeological challenges, due partly to its passage beneath the old Greppoli shaft, which was part of the abandoned La Selva mine and was superficially sealed. The western tunnel, on the other hand, built in 2016 and 1,728 metres long, passed through rocks characterised by limited but interesting antimony mineralisations.

Other Mineralogical Outcrops
In addition to the tunnels, further outcrops were reported near the bases of the “Petriolo” bridge over the Farma stream. This bridge, 770 metres long and up to 110 metres high, was the first to be completed in 1971 and was later dismantlen in 2018 after the side by side construction of the new one, finished in 2017. Excavations carried out to widen the carriageway had already, since the 1970s, highlighted additional mineralogical presences: to the north, from the Sienese side of the Farma stream up to the Iesa junction, and to the south up to the viaducts over the Rilucia stream.

Conclusions
The modernisation of State Road 223 has not only improved the region’s road network but also deepened geological and mineralogical knowledge of the area, bringing to light outcrops and mineralisations that today represent an important scientific and collector’s heritage, albeit now less accessible than in the past due to the natural reclamation of the construction sites.

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