Le fer dans les Alpes du Moyen Age au XIXe siècle.

This volume is the publication of the acts of an international Franco-Italian conference which took place in 1998 at St Georges d’Hurtières (73). Even though the history of the techniques of mining iron, and in particular of its metallurgy, have been the focus of considerable research for many years, there is still more to be said on the subject. No previous synthesis existed for the Alpine region, where this activity was especially important. The period from the Middle Ages to the 19th century was chosen, as it provides the opportunity to study long-term changes. Moreover, several weeks earlier, another conference took place at Bienno (Italy), 'Il ferro nelle Alpi. Giacimenti, miniere e metallurgia dall’antiquità al XVI secolo'. Thirty papers and posters were presented, covering several major themes: the geological history of the Alps as shown by human activity; the history of mining and metallurgical enterprises; technical development as shown by specific examples; and finally, a look at the tourist potential of mining sites and the problems this poses, both in implementing such a plan and in the scientific choices it makes necessary. For this last section, the geographical limit was extended beyond the Alps to take into account feasibility studies and action plans for maximising tourist potential that were comparable both in their spirit and their method of approach, in the Pyrenees, the Massif des Maures, Corsica, etc......