E1 in Northern Latium 

Route

Path E1 in northern Lazio is the natural continuation of the long-distance path of the same name coming from Umbria to Castelluccio di Norcia; it enters Lazio at Forca Canapine, on the border with the Monti Sibillini mountain chain, passes the beautiful Pantani di Accumoli area, a place of meadows, pastures and springs surrounded by beech woods, and then reaches the village of Accumoli.

Alternatively, it is possible to take a variant that starts at Forca di Presta, which is reached by descending from Monte Vettore (2476 m), the last stage of the E1 Umbro trail. With this variant, one enters the Marche region and faces the Laga Mountains, rich in villages that are being abandoned but able to offer hospitality, despite the fact that the area was heavily hit by the 2016 earthquake. This variant reaches Arquata del Tronto, the city of two parks, the Monti Sibillini Park to the west and the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga Park to the east. Continuing along the variant, leaving Arquata, the path re-enters Lazio and rejoins the main path at Accumoli, which comes from Forca Canapine. From Accumoli, the path descends to the bottom of the valley, crosses the Tronto river and ascends to Amatrice, the starting point for the peaks of the Monti della Laga, including Mount Gorzano, 2458 m, the highest mountain in Lazio. From Amatrice, which was completely destroyed by the earthquake but is now being rebuilt, the E1 trail heads to Cittareale, dominated by the Fortress of King Manfredi, son of Frederick II of Swabia, a bulwark on the border between the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Papal State.

From Cittareale we head towards the sources of the Velino river, which springs from Mount Pozzoni, 1903 metres above sea level, on the border between the provinces of Perugia and Rieti. Travelling along the upper Velino Valley, we arrive at the locality Pallottini, where archaeological excavations have identified the villa where the Roman Emperor Titus Flavius Vespasian was born in 9 AD, giving rise to the Flavian dynasty, which we will commemorate even further south with other monumental works.

We reach Posta and then Sigillo, at the beginning of the narrow Velino Gorge, carved by the river through the rocks between Monte Giano to the east and some western offshoots of the Terminillo such as Brecciaro (1956 mslslm), Monte Elefante (2015 m a.s.l.) and Monte Valloni (2004 m a.s.l.). The main E1 trail from Sigillo goes up the Scura torrent through the forests, climbs steeply up to an altitude of 1100 m and reaches the village of Micigliano, all hidden in the Terminillo mountains. The variant instead from Sigillo heads to the Velino Gorge. It is only possible to do this route in summer, as it is necessary to ford the river six times. In summer, the underground course of the river leaves the surface course almost dry. In the Velino Gorge we follow the route of the ancient Roman Via Salaria, the signs of which are evident along the way. We find an enormous 2.35 m high stone in the shape of a cone, with the mile marker LXVIII from ancient Rome, dating back to the Augustan era, the Bear's Boulder, a huge vertical rock that still shows signs of the chisels of the ancient consular road, and the paving stones of the ancient Via Salaria.

This variant reaches the Abbey of San Quirico and Giuditta, with a beautiful Romanesque bell tower, unfortunately now used as a hotel for ceremonies. The main E1 trail from Micigliano crosses beautiful chestnut groves and reaches Canetra, while the variant from the Abbey reaches Antrodoco, Borgo Velino and rejoins the main route at Canetra.

Canetra is a village along the new Salaria, served by a railway station on the line from Terni to Sulmona.

From Canetra it is possible to follow the great archaeological ring of Cittaducale, which runs through a wide plain, the Piana di San Vittorino, where the Velino receives the waters of the Peschiera river. These pure waters come out of a huge cave under Mount Nuria (1888 m a.s.l.) and the Cicolano mountains, and are captured to supply water to almost all of Rome through a modern aqueduct.

Here, the ancient Roman emperors of the Flavian dynasty built their sumptuous villas with waterfalls and immense pools. Going from Canetra towards Cittareale, one first encounters the villa of Titus, son of Vespasian and emperor also succeeding his father. Underground conduits lead archaeologists to suppose that the front of the villa was covered by an enormous waterfall.

Continuing through an olive grove, we arrive at Lake Paterno, once equipped with a floating island, a place of worship for the goddess Vacuna. From Lake Paterno, descending through olive groves we reach the Baths of Titus Flavius Vespasian, Roman Emperor from 69 to 79 AD.

Continuing along the Piana di San Vittorino one reaches the medieval town of Cittaducale, founded in 1308 by King Charles II of Anjou. The town is interesting for its monuments, churches and convents.

We make a wide loop around the Piana di San Vittorino (400 metres above sea level) and climb up the Cicolano Mountains, passing through the village of Micciani, then Pendenza, and arrive among dense woods and ancient sheep-tracks up to an altitude of 1263 metres. From there you descend towards Staffoli and Petrella Salto, famous for its fortress. This brings us in sight of the Salto artificial lake, obtained by blocking the course of the river with a dam.

From Petrella Salto one passes from village to village in a lush natural setting. This was once the road used to reach Rome from the north when the Tiber river flooded and made transit along its banks impossible. Cicolano is full of villages rich in history, such as Colle della Sponga, Mareri, Colle Rosso, Pagliara, Mercato, Marmosedio, Fiamignano, Collemazzolino, Sant'Elpidio. A common feature of all these villages is the castle, built during the Longobard domination, and the spring. The economy of the area was essentially based on sheep farming and livestock breeding, so the roads are the ancient transhumance routes. As soon as they defeated the Equi, ancient inhabitants of the area, very proud and combative warriors, the ancient Romans subjected Cicolano to centuriazione with the construction of imposing polygonal walls that delimited pastures and transhumance routes. As many as 57 polygonal wall sites have been identified by archaeologists in the terrain.  One example in Sant'Elpidio is the archaeological complex of the Grotta del Cavaliere di Alzano, which is said to have been an enormous pagan temple built on terraces on at least three levels, with extraordinary polygonal walls. The Knight of Alzano was one of many 19th century foreign travellers to Italy, Sir Edward Dodwell, an Irish-born painter, draughtsman, traveller and writer on archaeology, who died in Rome on 14 May 1832. He is buried in Rome in the church of Santa Maria in Via Lata on the Via del Corso. He left us many drawings of polygonal walls, which archaeologists are trying to trace and catalogue. The next drawing shows the structure of the Grotta del Cavaliere di Alzano, which is today difficult to understand and photograph in its entirety, as it is completely overgrown by trees and vegetation.

Continuing on the E1 trail from the Grotta del Cavaliere, you will come across other villages such as Collemaggiore, the small monastery of the Sisters of San Paolo, Pagliara, and Castelmenardo, all uphill clinging to the slopes of Monte San Mauro. We ford the Apa torrent and arrive at the village of Santo Stefano, once surrounded by many water mills (one of which can be visited) that ground the locally produced grain. From Santo Stefano we reach the town of Corvaro, located at the Valle del Salto exit of the A24 Rome-L'Aquila motorway.

From Corvaro you quickly reach the Duchessa Mountains Regional Nature Reserve, at the end of a series of valleys that descend from the mountain. You reach the village of Cartore and a little further on, at Bocca di Teve, you enter Abruzzo.

Practical

Medical Problems (NOT Emergency):  phone    116 117

Emergency (any): phone 112

Accomodation and Food

Castelluccio di Norcia: Agriturismo La Valle delle Aquile, Via del Pian Perduto snc, phone +39 3392586218

Forca Canapine - Accumoli: Agricampeggio Alta Montagna Bio, Loc. Madonna delle Coste 2, phone +39 3475133299, https://www.altamontagnabio.it/

Agriturismo Le Mole, Fraz. Fonte del Campo 1-22, phone +39 3497763230.

Arquata nel Tronto: Centro Comunale Polivalente Agorà, 63096 Borgo AP, phone +39 349.3704083, https://www.arquatadeltronto.com/ultime/centro-polivalente-agora-per-info-e-prenotazioni/

Amatrice: Hotel Ristorante “Il Castagneto”, Via del Castagneto, 35, Phone0746825722, https://www.hotelristoranteilcastagneto.it/

Agriturismo Amatrice di Benni, Frazione S. Cipriano, 158, phone +30746825193, https://www.agriturismoamatrice.com/

Amatrice - Torrita: Agriturismo Fattoria Santarelli, Fraz. Torrita, Via Salaria Vecchia, 108, Tf 3393694977, http://www.fattoriasantarelli.com/

Torrita - Cittareale: Agriturismo Lu Ceppe, Via Gentili, 3, Tf 0746947085, https://www.agriturismoluceppe.it/

Cittareale - Posta: Ristorante Agriturismo “Dal Poeta”, Via Favischio, 10, Tf 0746 959747.

Agriturismo “Casale Valenzano”, Località Casale Valenzano snc - Sigillo, 02019 Posta RI, TF 0746959114.

Posta - Micigliano: A Micigliano è possibile chiedere ospitalità alle persone del posto. Telefonare qualche giorno prima a Emiliano Scoppetta che abita lì, tf 3400744249, Vice Presidente della APS valledelsalto.it.

Fuori sentiero E1: Rifugio Angelo Sebastiani, Sp10 via Vallonina snc, 02010 Micigliano RI, TF 3395211171, al momento chiuso per lavori, http://www.cairieti.it/cairieti/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70&Itemid=68,

Rifugio CAI “Massimo Rinaldi”, TF 3280020775, https://rifugiorinalditerminillo.it/

Micigliano - Castel Sant’Angelo: Agriturismo “Villa Janula”, Strada Ville-Ponte,02010 Castel Sant'Angelo RI, 02010 Loc. Ville RI, TF 3201832161.

Agriturismo “Sant’Erasmo”, Via Sant'Erasmo, 1, 02010 Vasche RI, TF 3389692157.

Castel Sant’Angelo - Cittaducale: “Da Artù”, Via Monviso, 7, 02015 Cittaducale RI, TF 3393647785.

Hotel Adamello, Via Nazionale, 02015 Cittaducale RI.

Bed&Breakfast “Il Picchio Verde”, Via Mezzanola, 2, 02015 Cittaducale RI, TF 3409427426, https://bb-il-picchio-verde.business.site/

Cittaducale - Ponzano - Calcariola -  Micciani: A metà percorso: Azienda Agricola “Tularù”, Via Case Sparse, snc, 02015 Ponzano di Cittaducale RI, TF 3286666038, http://www.tularu.it/

A Micciani è possibile chiedere ospitalità alle persone del posto. Telefonare qualche giorno prima a Federica D’Ascenzo che abita lì, TF 3393437369, Presidente della Ass. FIE Micciani Unita.

Agriturismo “Sant’Erasmo”, Via Sant'Erasmo, 1, 02010 Vasche RI, TF 3389692157; da Vasche si sale a Pendenza.

Micciani - Pendenza: A Pendenza è possibile chiedere ospitalità alle persone del posto. Attualmente non abbiamo nessun riferimento a Pendenza.

Scendendo dai Casali della Fonte sul sentiero E1 a metà della tappa Pendenza – Petrella Salto e giungendo sulla SP22 c’è l’Hotel Resort “Casa Bianca”, SP22, 02025 Casali Natali RI.

Proseguendo dai Casali della Fonte sul sentiero E1 si arriva a Staffoli, vicino Petrella Salto, dove c’è un Ostello gestito dal Comune di Petrella Salto e condotto da ragazzi di Staffoli quando sono sul posto.

Pendenza - Petrella Salto: Ostello del Salto, Piazza Indipendenza, snc, 02025 Petrella salto RI, TF 3291624611.

Petrella Salto - Fiamignano: Non proprio sul sentiero E1, ma poco più avanti su strada asfaltata SP67 c’è il Bed & Breakfast “Noi parliamo con le pietre”, Via Corso, 15 Fraz, 02023 Località Corso RI, TF 3357745721, http://www.noiparliamoconlepietre.it/

Fiamignano - Sant’Elpidio: A Sant’Elpidio è possibile chiedere ospitalità alle persone del posto. La APS valledelsalto.it ha una sede nell’edificio scolastico di Sant’Elpidio. Si può chiedere qualche giorno prima ad Elena Rosati che abita lì, TF 3398629785,  Consigliera della APS valledelsalto.it.

Sant’Elpidio - Corvaro: Agriturismo Anselmi Maria, Via Valle Amara, 2, 02021 Corvaro RI, TF 0746306545.

Albergo “La Duchessa”, Via Marsicana, 4, 02021 Corvaro RI, TF 074631107, https://camerainitalia.top/hotel-la-duchessa/

Corvaro - Cartore: “Casali di Cartore”, A24 Roma-l'Aquila-Teramo, 02021 Borgorose RI, TF 3489819343, https://www.casalidicartore.com/

“La Sosta del Brigante” (molto rustico), Via Colle Dell' Ara, 02021 Borgorose RI, TF 3408276002, https://camminodeibriganti.it/strutture/ 

Gear

On the initial stretch of the E1 European path in Lazio, one crosses an area heavily affected by the 2016 earthquake, where many villages are still completely destroyed, while reconstruction work is underway, and the population, living in the Emergency Housing Solutions, tenaciously attached to the activities of the places, is trying to reorganise itself with the activities it has always carried out, such as livestock farming, cultivation, cheese and sausage industries. There is no shortage of restaurants and accommodation possibilities. The stages of the E1 trail are not difficult. They take place in the Apennine environment at altitudes rarely exceeding 1,500 m, mainly among forests and very varied landscapes. Characteristic of the area is the abundance of water and lush vegetation. The mountain peaks are very close to the E1 route, but require a stop in the villages crossed. In any case, good training and appropriate clothing (modulated according to the season) are required. All stage points coincide with a village or a fairly inhabited town, so there is always the possibility of refuelling with water, an overnight stay and refreshments with delicious local products. The warm welcome of the local population is also worth mentioning.  

Useful Links

• https://www.valledelsalto.it

• https://www.vmappenninocentrale.it

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/fielazio

• https://www.fieitalia.com/fie