Panasqueira

Minas da Panasqueira or Mina da Panasqueira (Panasqueira Mine) is the generic name for a set of mining operations, between Cabeço do Pião (Fundão Municipality) and the Panasqueira Village (Covilhã Municipality), which operated in a technically integrated manner and continues practically since its discovery. Subsequently, it was agglomerated in a single administrative entity called Couto Mineiro da Panasqueira which had its last demarcation on 9 March 1971 and later in the present Exploration Concession C18 (16/12/1992). The mining installations are currently centralised in the area of Barroca Grande-Aldeia de S. Francisco de Assis (Covilhã) i.e. access to underground exploration, extraction and processing of ore. The mine is in operation for almost 120 years in a practically uninterrupted manner, with a strong impact on the identity, history and present society of the Beira Interior. It is also a worldwide reference in the wolfram sector, not only for the quality and volume of production, duration and adaptability of exploration; but also due to the maturity of technical solutions for both underground exploitation and ore processing.

Minas da Panasqueira (Panasqueira Mine) is named after the location of initial mining exploration. At the end of XIX century the area was covered with gorse, broom bush and several species of low-lying bushes and pine trees. The stony ground was totally unsuitable for the cultivation of seed or cereal. The population of the neighbouring village of Cebola (presently S. Jorge da Beira) used the folds in the slopes to make terraces where they planted potatoes, corn or pasture. In this manner small cultivation areas divided in narrow terraces with some fruit trees and large chestnut trees were created in three small valleys (Madurrada, Vale Torto and Panasqueira).
It was in the last of these valleys (Panasqueira) that the ore exploration work began and the first plant was installed. The name of this valley derives from “Panasco”, umbelliferous plant very common in the region in the fields where rye was sowed. The population immediately started calling this initial mine – Minas da Panasqueira.

Records exist of extensive galleries in Vale da Ermida, Fontes Casinhas and Courelas associated with the exploration of tin, however this period is poorly documented. There is record of alluvial exploration of tin in the area of S. Jorge da Beira that was attributed to the Roman period.

...
Wikipedia