Allumiere, Italian comune
Allumiere is a small town nestled in the Tolfa hills at about 1,700 feet (522 meters) elevation with around 3,800 residents and old stone buildings along narrow streets. The landscape is shaped by streams and rolling green hills that surround the settlement.
Giovanni da Castro discovered alum mines in 1462, which operated until 1941 and shaped the local economy for centuries. Human presence here stretches back much further, with stone tools from the Paleolithic period and burial sites from the Bronze Age and Etruscan settlements.
The town preserves its mining heritage through local stories and traditions passed down over generations. Each September and August, residents gather for religious celebrations and the Palio, a donkey race where different neighborhoods compete, keeping alive a sense of community and shared identity.
The town sits about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Rome and is reachable by train to Civitavecchia and then by local bus. The terrain is hilly with marked walking trails through forests and to local sites, making exploration on foot manageable for visitors of normal fitness.
The town hosts the Palio, an unusual donkey race in August where different neighborhoods compete, a local tradition that echoes horse races elsewhere but with a distinctly local character. The Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie, an outdoor chapel beside an old quarry with a large Jesus statue atop a rock, draws pilgrims especially in early September.
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