Cabernardi: Mining History, Walking Trail and Palio

There are several ways to explore the history of sulfur mining in Cabernardi: the Santa Barbara Chapel commemorates those who died, the museum and Archaeomineral Park offer different perspectives on the mine, and the Cammino Pozzo Donegani combines walking with culture. In summer, the Palio della Miniera di Zolfo is also held. When planning your trip, consider both the kind of visit you want and when you would like to experience the event.

Mining History Between Remembrance and Technology

The Santa Barbara Chapel, near the entrance to the Cabernardi mine, was built in memory of the 130 people who lost their lives in the mine. It draws attention to the human cost behind the history of mining and offers a different perspective from the exhibits in the park and museum.

On a guided tour of the Cabernardi Archaeomineral Park, you can visit the “Donegani” shaft. There is also an opportunity to enter a gallery that connects the furnaces to the calcaroni. The guided visit therefore combines a look at the shaft with the possibility of accessing this gallery. If you particularly want to see these areas, plan to visit the park on a guided tour.

Sulfur and Everyday Life at the Museum

The museum displays sulfur in several forms: raw, as crystals, in 50 kg slabs, and in its purest form after processing. Photographs and newspaper clippings document life in the mine and the work associated with it. They also cover events leading up to the mine’s closure, as well as the leisure activities and celebrations of miners and their families. Alongside the raw material and its processing, the focus is therefore also on everyday and community life in the mining area.

The museum is in the centre of the Cabernardi district, on the first floor of the former school building. Check current access arrangements before your visit. The museum exhibits and the guided tour of the Archaeomineral Park offer different perspectives: here, you will see objects, photographs and newspaper clippings; there, the shaft and the opportunity to enter the gallery.

The Cammino Pozzo Donegani

The Cammino Pozzo Donegani is a walking and cultural trail that brings together nature, history and identity. It passes through the areas of the four districts of the Palio della Miniera di Zolfo di Cabernardi: Cabernardi Est, Cabernardi Ovest, Doglio and Felcine. The opening section is about 12 km long and has an elevation gain of 450 m. If you plan to walk this section, take both figures into account when planning your trip.

The trail and the festival are also linked through the districts: the Cammino passes through their areas, while they compete against one another in the Palio. You can therefore choose between a walking and cultural trail and a visit focused on the exhibition, park or event. The trail combines nature and history, while the museum and park present mining history from different perspectives.

The Palio in Summer

The Palio della Miniera di Zolfo di Cabernardi takes place every summer, from the first to the second Sunday in August. It lasts for one week. The programme includes competitions between the districts, a re-enactment of the area’s mining and farming history, music, performances and food stalls. The event thus combines historical themes with a festival programme and competition between the districts.

The exact dates may vary from one edition to the next. If the Palio is the reason for your trip, check the dates for that edition before deciding when to travel. This lets you take the event dates into account when choosing your travel period, without confusing them with the mining heritage sites and themes described as available year-round.

Discover more destinations: Monte Roberto, Rocca Priora, Poggio San Marcello, Senigallia, Serra San Quirico, Loreto, Pianello Vallesina, Montoro.

For the main travel overview: Ancona.