The assessment of metal pollution in soils around a metallurgical factory was the aim of the present paper. The main objectives were to identify the origin (geological or anthropogenic) of some metals and the environmental risks they could induce (ground water contamination and human health risk).A suitable sampling strategy was developed and all the tools used in this procedure were chosen according to European guidelines and recommendations. For soil analyses, ISO protocols were mainly adopted. Cartographies of metal contents were used to represent both the horizontal and vertical distribution of metals. The results highlighted an anthropic and historical pollution of top soils around the site. No significant vertical migration was observed for the metals typical of the present industrial activities so that no groundwater contamination is to be feared at the present time. However, groundwater analyses are needed to check the migration of the tracer from the past industrial activities. The sampling strategy developed seemed to be well suited to our context. However, there is no universal sampling procedure and each one must be "purpose-fit", i.e. developed according to clearly defined objectives.