Vpeljava plavžev in vzpon idrijskega rudnika = Introduction of Blast Furnaces and the Rise of the Idrija Mine (original) (raw)

The 16th century was a time of considerable change for metallurgy on the Slovenian territory. Many new manufacturing facilities were established, and the existing ones expanded and modernised. The Idrija Mercury Mine, the most important mine in Slovenian area during the Early Modern Period and an essential source of income for the territorial prince’s treasury, experienced its first major growth in this century. The iron industry played an increasingly important role in the entire economy of Slovenian area, but particularly in Upper Carniola. An important innovation in this period is the introduction of the indirect iron smelting process in blast furnaces, which allowed the production of larger quantities of pig iron. An invaluable contribution to the introduction of the new technology was made by settlers from northern Italy, both with regard to knowledge transfer and in terms of financial investments. With the onset of an economic crisis in the late 16th century, many production facilities were forced to stop operating. Those that survived generally continued their business until the end of the 19th century. Non-ferrous metallurgy also became more intensive in the Early Modern Period.