From the institutional website www.comune.gonnesa.ca.it
The story
The presence in the territory of domus de janas (prehistoric tombs), nuraghi (ancient Sardinian megalithic edifices), and Nuragic villages testifies that it has been the site of human settlements since the most remote eras.
Also Phoenicians, Punics, and Romans, as numerous finds attest, attracted by the richness of the minerals present in its subsoil (zinc, copper, lead, silver), occupied it for long periods.
Gonnesa, populated from 1000 - 1200 AD, arose as a domus or domestica, that is, a center of rural settlements owned by the judge or members of his family. Until 1257, Gonnesa belonged to the Judicate of Cagliari; subsequently, from 1258 to 1400, after various and bloody battles between the powers of the time, it passed first under the domination of the Donoratico family, then under that of the Pisans, and finally to that of the Aragonese.
Since the 14th century, in the village's economy, in addition to the traditional agro-pastoral activities, mining acquired considerable importance, a "historical activity" of Gonnesa.
From around 1400 to 1774, perhaps due to famines and plagues or the frequent pirate raids, Gonnesa, like many other villages in Sulcis, remained depopulated.
On May 25, 1774, with a public act of conversion and capitulation of vassalage, Don Gavino Asquer Amat, Viscount of Fluminimaggiore and Gessa, repopulated the village with fifteen new vassals.
From the mid-19th century, mining activity developed considerably, increasingly becoming the predominant activity of the people of Gonnesa, and thanks to it, the population increased significantly.
From this era, Gonnesa lost its purely agro-pastoral character, becoming an important mining village.
On May 20, 21, and 22, 1906, Gonnesa was the scene of a popular revolt that spread throughout the mining basin, to demand greater dignity in work and more humane living conditions. The rebellion was harshly repressed by law enforcement – 3 deaths (Federica Pilloni, Giovanni Pili, and Angelo Puddu), 17 injured, 270 arrests.
The national press gave great prominence to the event, and the Italian Parliament established a parliamentary commission of inquiry with Law No. 393 of July 29, 1906.
The crisis of the mining industry in the post-World War II period, with the almost total cessation of coal mine activity and the slow but inexorable closure of lead-zinc mines, has redrawn a completely new economic and social scenario. Gonnesa today, with its history, its archaeology, and its natural beauties, while not forgetting the economic importance that the mining industry still has – the most important Italian coal mine is located in its territory – is decisively focusing on tourism.
