When i found the above photo,i discovered a new world which i wanted to know something more. This photo with working people with their new clothes and the "lamps"they need to work in their hands arose my curiosity.First of all , i wanted to find the mine in the photo and then discover something more on the area after more then 100 years.

                                                    OIL AND ACETYLENE  LAMPS (END OF 800)

The mine complex is divided in two fundamental areas, situated to the east an the west of Allumiere. The work in a gallery was introduced in 800 because the workers were used to work in open air mines before.

     MINING TECHNIQUE USED IN "ALLUMIERE" MINES

As you cas see, the technique was very easy. They started whit a principal gallery and then opened other galleries searching for the vein ; when they foud it, it was escaved until its end. If the complex became to big, some ventilation wells were built. To start with my research, i found a map of the area dating back 1930 and i followed it , discovering that the area of my research was to the west of "Allumiere". In this area there were three mines: the North mine, the Trinity mine and the Providence mine.

THE AREA OF MY RESEARCH

I wandered through the old streets which linked the whole complex; the environment was different and many changes made my research difficult. One day i was  on the "Roman street" and i found the North mine, but it didn't match with the mine in the photo.

THE NORTH MINE OUTSIDE

THE NORTH MINE INSIDE

The name  "North mine" probably comes from its position, it is 300 mt. long and we don't know exactly its internal condition. It should be explored with the facilities required as it is quite dangerous for the presence of landslides.Going on my research i found, at 350 mt. of altitude the entrance of the Trinity mine. This starts from 374 mt. and is 400 mt. long reaching the altitude of 485 mt. At its entrance there was some water flowing from the venis which had been escaved and inside there was a track for mine trolleys.But it didn't correspond to the photo both in the countryside and in the kind of ground.

THE TRINITY MINE AT THE ENTRANCE

THE TRINITY MINE AT THE ENTRANCE THERE IS A LOT OF WATER COMING FROM THE MINE BECAUSE IT WAS BUILT ON A SLOPE.

At this point I had to find what  I was looking for paying attention to the photo ; in the background you can notice a quarry, the "rotella" one.

HERE YOU CAN SEE THE QUARRY AT THE TOP  AND THIS IS THE POSITION OF THE "Providence" MINE

OF THE PHOTO

So I  started to walk in the wood : the place was not the same anymore there was a slide and the trees were very different but I found that the earth had bent in a certain point and so I discovered the ligher part of a gallery. But it was very different from what I imagined !

                                    THE ENTRANCE WITH QUITE A BIG SLIDE IN THE FOREGRAUND

  HERE I CAME INTO THE MINE JUST FOR A LITTLE WHILE BECAUSE THE DANGER OF A SLIDE IS ALWAYS PRESENT.

The Providence mine starts from 424 mt. and is long 200 mt. reaching the altitude of 495 mt., linking itself with "rotella " galleries.

               HERE ARE THE POSITIONS AND THE NAMES OF THE MINES ON THE GENERAL MAP