Allerona - Orvieto  - Umbria - Italy ( 472 mt. Above sea level) [ MAP ] 
This picturesque hilltop Umbrian town dates back to Roman times or even earlier. It is a  medieval  center near Orvieto characterized also for its environmental  richesse with the Park of Villalba and the marvellous Villa Cahen, in art nouveau style, fully  immersed in the green lush vegetation  of Park "Forest of Meana".

All that remains of the ancient feudal castle, an important bulwark of the Comune of Orvieto towards Chiusi, subject to the Monaldeschi and Filippeschi families and laid waste by the troops of Charles VIII in 1495, are the ruins of the old walls, the two gates known as "del Sole" and "della Luna" and the urban layout.

The old castle church 12th century), remodeled in the 19th century in neo-Gothic style, is located in the town and has paintings by the Sienese painter Arturo Viligiardi (1896). In addition, to the old church of the Madonna dell'Acqua (attributed to San Gallo), a visit to the stupendous Villa Cahen, in art Nouveau style, in the midst of the park of Selva di Meana is a Must.

St Isidoro's day, the Patron Saint of the peasants, is celebrated in Allerona on the 3rd Sunday of May.

The exhibition of Pugnaloni, a traditional parade along the streets of the country village, linked to this feast, puts on display whatever is connected to the work of the laborers. Once the parade is over the symbolic scenes drawn from the hard everyday life of this village, are represented on the carts with handicrafts made of wood, clay or with other materials prepared by the people during the wintertime.

The term "Pugnalone" takes its origins from "the goat", a stick with an iron point on one end, on the other end there is a little scraper the plowmen made use in order to urge the lazy oxen unwilling to move on. It is also used to clean the plow  of earth clods. Every year the "Pugnaloni" are exhibited along the central street of the village until award time. They can be admired only during the Holiday Patron's Day. After the 2nd World War the carts turn to be allegorical carts reproducing county life.

On the top of the cart a small poplar is stuck in the middle, cut early in the morning of the holiday and decorated with colored ribbons.
The Christian symbolic value later added to the "Pugnaloni" has heavily modified its original features. Every cart is in fact showing a scene-taking place around St. Isadoro's miracle (who is praying while an Angel is working on his place.)

Must see:

- The Church of the "Madonna dell'Acqua" (XVIII sec.) and the archeological area of St. Ansano.

- Villa Cahen