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The Old Mill of Jenne: the ancient Benedictine mill in the Aniene valley
The Mola Vecchia (Old Mill) of Jenne is an 11th-century Benedictine mill in the heart of the Simbruini Mountains Regional Park, in the Latium region. It stands where the Aniene river forms a natural pool, in the locality of Inferniglio. The water here is emerald green, and the old stone bridge frames one of the most striking corners of the valley.
A mill contested for centuries
The Benedictine monks built the Mola around the year 1000. For centuries it was the only mill that served the inhabitants of Jenne and the surrounding villages. This made it so valuable that the abbots of Santa Scolastica claimed half of the revenues in exchange for its maintenance. Under the pontificate of Boniface IX, between 1389 and 1401, the income was officially split in two: one part for the community, one for the monastery.
From mill to trail
The old mill was abandoned with the arrival of electricity. The municipality restored the outer structures and turned it into a rest stop for hikers. It sits midway along the trail connecting Subiaco to the Trevi Waterfall: a stretch shared with the Coleman Trail and the Way of St Benedict. A stone's throw away lies the Inferniglio Cave, an active resurgence of the Simbruini Mountains karst system, with underground pools and walls sculpted by water.
