Dekemhare (; sometimes spelled Decamare, Italian: Decamerè) is a town in Eritrea in the Southern Region, southeast of the national capital of Asmara. During the Italian colonial period, the town became a major center of industry and agriculture known for its vineyards. The town became known for Art Deco buildings built during the colonial period.
Prior to 1947, the town had a sizable population of Italian settlers. It was previously overshadowed by the nearby settlement of Gura, which was the location of several battles (including a major one during the 19th century Ethio-Egyptian War) and previously gave its name to Dequ-Mehari's valley.
Colonial era and World War II
Following their invasion, the Italians devoted significant resources into developing Gura and Dekemhare as an important transportation center. Gura received an air base and a major road was built connecting Dekamhare with the port Nefasit. The Italians built a number of contemporary services in the town. The town became a major base of operations for the Italian military in the war against Ethiopia.
During World War II, as the British took control over the region, many of the Italian residents left. Ethnic violence in 1947 resulted in most of rest of the Italian residents leaving Dekemhare. The town became a major location of violence during the remained of the wars including regular fighting between forces, aerial bombardment and shelling. Much of the population fled during the intense fighting in 1990 and 1991. It was reported in 2023 that the Eritrean government would take control of Don Bosco Technical School