Summary
- Starting point: Villa Galletti
- Duration: 3:00 h
- Length: 11.99 km
- Difficulty level: easy
19. Monte Malbe
The starting point for this itinerary is the lay-by across from Villa Galletti. From here we take a track that descends through a forest of oaks, chestnuts and hornbeams, with undergrowth composed of typical shrubs such as holly and butcher’s broom. As we advance, we go past several agricultural clearings surrounded by woods and characterized by field hedges with numerous cornelian cherry trees. Upon leaving the woods, we cross an agricultural plain that faces Colle Campana, Monte Tezio, Monte Acuto and the village of Castel Rigone, heading towards Madonna di Campore.
Heading right, we again enter the woods, this time a forest of tall trees with a prevalence of turkey oaks, until we reach a pond that is a watering hole for animals. Carefully following the signs, we cross sunny flowering glades with rockroses, heather and Spanish broom, emerging at the road that descends from Madonna di Campore. At the first fork, we turn left onto a dirt road that leads to a forest with numerous hornbeams and holm oaks. We proceed across the hillside, heading into the maquis, where we can see heather, Spanish broom, junipers, holm oaks and arbutuses. Various forks and junctions take us to a wide forest road that rises through the woods and leads to the monastery of San Salvatore in Sasso (the Hermitage), built in the 12th century.
The excursion continues along a narrow track directly in front of the entrance to the monastery, which crosses through a holm oak forest and heads up the hillside. We then take another steep track that descends to Podere Le Trosce. An unpaved road brings us to the starting point of our itinerary, which is 11.990 km long.