Trekking on the Martani Mountains
Hiking

Trekking on the Martani Mountains

Walking, cycling, or on horseback: here are some things to do on the Martani mountains. From the greenest nature to ancient forgotten towns: unmissable places in Umbria.

The territory of the Martani Mountains community is a range enclosing the southern Umbrian valley, from Assisi to Spoleto. This is an ideal location for lovers of the outdoors who also do not want to miss out on discovery and history.

From a geological viewpoint, these mountains are made out of marine sediments, particularly of limestone from the Triassic era. Plant life here is rich and varied and it is possible to explore variegated forests populated by oaks, holms and beeches. But the true particularity of the Martani Mountains is the abundance of caves, sinkholes, and gorges, caused by the erosive effects of water and time.

Worth seeing in the area is the town of Macerino, of Roman origin and located along a road essential for communication and commerce. This town was once the capital of the Terre Arnolfe, and its walls are still intact, as is its castle, built above the main town. The churches of San Biagio, San Giovenal, and of the Madonna del Fiore also survive to this day.

If you are instead fascinated by ghost towns, of uninhabited places that excude a magical and evocative atmosphere, seek out Scoppio, a collection of stone houses and alleyways that has been abandoned since the 1950s. Though it has often been shaken by tragic earthquakes, a part of the original castle still stands in the town centre.

 

 


But this area is also a real spiritual oasis, as it hosts the prehistoric settlement of Cesi, the fortified sanctuary of Sant'Erasmo, located between the Naia valley and the Terni gorge, and the sanctuary of mount Torre Maggiore