THIS IS UNBELIEVEABLE - Part 2

I strongly suggest you view part 1 before checking this part 2 and you also need to remember, this was all done over many years by the miners themselves on their break time between working underground. Plus the fact that these photos had to be taken with very little available lighting! 

 ~ 

 ~ 

Another remarkable carving, this time a take on The Last Supper.

The work and patience that must have gone into the creation of these

sculptures is extraordinary. One wonders what the miners would have thought

of their work going on general display? They came to be quite used to it, in

fact, even during the mine’s busiest period in the nineteenth century. The

cream of Europe ’s thinkers visited the site – you can still see many of

their names in the old visitor’s books on display. 

 ~ 

 ~  

  ~ 

These reliefs are perhaps among some of the most iconographic

works of Christian folk art in the world and really do deserve to be shown.

It comes as little surprise to learn that the mine was placed on the

original list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites back in 1978. 

 ~ 

 ~  

Not all of the work is relief-based. There are many life sized

statues that must have taken a considerable amount of time – months, perhaps

even years – to create. Within the confines of the mine there is also much

to be learned about the miners from the machinery and tools that they used –

many of which are on display and are centuries old. A catastrophic flood in

1992 dealt the last blow to commercial salt mining in the area and now the

mine functions purely as a tourist attraction. Brine is, however, still

extracted from the mine – and then evaporated to produce some salt, but

hardly on the ancient scale. If this was not done, then the mines would soon

become flooded once again. 

 ~ 

 ~ 

 ~ 

Not all of the statues have a religious or symbolic imagery

attached to them. The miners had a sense of humor, after all! Here can be

seen their own take on the legend of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The

intricately carved dwarves must have seemed to some of the miners a kind of

ironic depiction of their own work. 

 ~ 

 ~ 

The miners even threw in a dragon for good measure! Certainly,

they may have whistled while they did it but the conditions in the salt mine

were far from comfortable and the hours were long – the fact that it was

subterranean could hardly have added to the excitement of going to work each

morning. 

 ~ 

 ~ 

 ~ 

To cap it all there is even an underground lake, lit by subdued

electricity and candles. This is perhaps where the old legends of lakes to

the underworld and Catholic imagery of the saints work together to best

leave a lasting impression of the mine. How different a few minutes

reflection here must have been to the noise and sweat of everyday working life in the mine.

  ~