Decize coal mine
Location of the Decize-La Machine coal basin within French coal basins. | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Location | La Machine, Decize |
| State/province | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté |
| Country | France |
| Coordinates | 46°50′N 3°28′E / 46.83°N 3.46°E |
| Production | |
| Products | Coal |
| History | |
| Opened | 15th century |
| Closed | 1974 |
The Decize Coal Mines were a significant coal mining operation within the Decize-La Machine coal basin, located in the Nièvre department of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France. Coal extraction in the region is documented from the 15th century, with industrial operations peaking in the 19th and 20th centuries under the Schneider Company from 1869 to 1946. Nationalized in 1946 under Charbonnages de France, the mines were integrated with the Blanzy Coal Mines until their closure in 1974 after five centuries of activity. The mining legacy endures through preserved remnants such as mine entrances, slag heaps, railways, ruins, workers' housing, and repurposed buildings, profoundly shaping the region’s economic, social, environmental, and cultural landscape.