LEGENDS AND MYTHS OF THE HERMIT MONKS IN THE SIBILLINI MOUNTAINS

ONE DAY TOUR

Itinerary dedicated to the discovery of the narrow valleys and steep cliffs inhabited by the first groups of monks who chose the Sibillini Mountains to seek the solitude and silence imposed by the Rule. We will begin our tour by following the itinerary of the Infernaccio Gorges.

The path that climbs between rocks and vegetation of various types, crossing the stream first through a wooden bridge and then with ups and downs that will turn into comfortable streets and paths that are much more linear and reassuring. After this first part of the walk we will enter a centuries-old beech forest and at the end of the walk we will reach the Hermitage of San Leonardo.

We will continue the walk to reach the waterfall upstream of the Rio stream. During the stop for lunch we will have the opportunity to rediscover the ancient cuisine of the monks and the ancient flavors of the past linked to what the territory offered.

After lunch we will resume the journey and we will reach the Church dedicated to Sant’Angelo di Montespino which rises on a hill of Montefortino, surrounded by a pine forest where the view sweeps 360 degrees on the Sibillini Mountains chain on the Marche hills and down until you see the Adriatic coast and the Monti della Laga.


ITINERARY DESCRIPTION

MEETING POINT: RUBBIANO. 8:30 am - Arrival with your own vehicle at the parking lot at the start of the path to the Infernaccio Gorge in the locality of Rubbiano. Reception and presentation of the group with the guide.

START OF THE INFERNACCIO TRIP: 9:00 am - We will cross the natural gorges of the Infernaccio formed by the Tenna river. The entire stretch traveled by the river inside the gorges is nestled between the very high and impervious limestone buttresses of the mountains. During the journey we will immerse ourselves in a dense and luxuriant beech forest that continuously climbs the valley floor up to the altitude meadows. The whole area at the foot of the Sibyl.

ARRIVAL AT THE HERMITAGE OF SAN LEONARDO: 10.30 am - Going towards the Gorges of the Infernaccio, on a promontory at 1,122 meters you can see the current new construction of the Hermitage of S. Leonardo surrounded by dense vegetation of yews, maples and beeches . Here we will learn about the history of the hermitage and the events of Father Pietro Lavini, protagonist of the reconstruction of the same hermitage.

ALTA DEL RIO WATERFALL: 11.00 am - Turning our backs to the Hermitage of San Leonardo, we will take the path that leads to the waterfall upstream of the Rio stream. We will cross a shady beech forest until the sudden appearance of the Rio Waterfall between high rocky walls, in one of the most fascinating areas of the Sibillini Mountains.

LUNCH OF THE MONKS IN MONTEFORTINO: 1:30 pm - The itinerary continues with a regenerating lunch in Montefortino, where we will discover the ‘poor’ cuisine of the monks. In the Marche region there was the reality of the kitchens of a dense network of convents, male and female or of religious congregations which, in addition to the internal canteen, often had relations with the outside materialized in serving meals to the poor.

ITINERARY START FOR THE PIEVE DI SANT’ANGELO IN MONTESPINO: 3.30 pm - After lunch we will walk to the Pieve di Sant’Angelo in Montespino, an ancient place full of suggestions.

ARRIVAL AT PIEVE DI SANT’ANGELO IN MONTESPINO: 4.30 pm - Built on the top of an isolated hill, the church dedicated to Sant’Angelo in Montespino was an ancient religious center directly under the bishop of Fermo. A legend has it that inside the Pieve there were 18 columns, each of which was dedicated to a disease (headache, bone pain, etc. etc.). It is said that whoever suffered from pain went to rub against the column dedicated to evil, attended mass, during which he had to recite the prayer of the Our Father.

RETURN TO MONTEFORTINO: 7.00 pm - Return on foot to Montefortino.