From Umbertide to the Mount Acuto
The climb to the Mount Acuto takes about four hours, the itinerary is 11.450 km long and the difference in height is 678 metres.
During the climb there are woods and pastures and at the altitude of about 700 metres the path forks off. Going through a thick beech forest you will reach the Cima Cerchiaia, where you can find the remains of a fortified borough that demonstrates the strategic importance of the Mount Acuto in the past.
It’s an elliptical-shaped construction of the protohistoric age, from which the name “cerchiaia” derives (cerchia means circle). This facility was used in the past to control the underlying territory.
On top of Mount Acuto (923 metres) there was also a presidium for the defence of the border between the Etruscan and the Umbrian territory, marked by the course of the river Tiber.
Between the 6th and the 7th century B.C., the peak of the hill became the centre of a mountain sanctuary devoted to a goddess protector of the agricultural and breeding activities and several small votive bronzes that were found during the archaeological excavations were devoted to her.
From Umbertide to the Mount Corona
The climb up Mount Corona takes about 4 hours and a half, the itinerary is about 12.5 km long and the difference in height is 690 metres.
Uphill from the Abbey of Montecorona you will begin to climb towards the hermitage; if you go along the ancient path built by monks (today called “Mattonata” for the presence of a pavement) you will see a shrine devoted to the Lady and the view from the estate of St. Savino opens on a wonderful panorama towards the Apennines.
At the crossroad you can decide to reach the Hermitage on the top of Mount Corona and go on then towards the fortified borough of St. Giuliana, of private property.
If you descend towards the valley you will pass by the estate St. Giuliano delle Pignatte, which has a church that preserved a precious ciborium of the 8th century, today in the Abbey of Montecorona, as well as by the Toro estate and, if you walk along the hill of Castiglione dell’Abbate you will return to the point of departure.
Difficulty for both pathways: E
According to the CAI definition it is an itinerary that travels along pathways with a varied terrain (pastures, debris and screes).
It requires a good training for the length of the pathway and for the difference in height, beyond a suitable equipment.
