Monti Sibillini
On Saturday morning it was raining when we left our hotel and visited the nearby town of Camerino.
So we were not too sure whether to carry on with the planned itinerary: reaching Ascoli Piceno via the Monti Sibillini National Park (so called because the legend says that one of the sibyls hid on a cave on one of these mountains).
As we had to negotiate two mountain passes, I was concerned that it may be snowing up there. But we decided to give it a go.
The first stop was the lovely village of Visso, where the Collegiata di Santa Maria
has a gigantic fresco of St. Christopher
The road after the town of Castelsantangelo Sul Nera
started to climb
and we soon lost track of the 'tornanti' or hairpin bends!
The views were spectacular
and it was all very quiet (apart from the barking of this aggressive dog - not happy when I took pictures of the sheep!)
By the time we reached pass Forca di Gualdo at almost 1,500 mt (4,900 ft) the road was flanked by snow
and a few minutes later we saw the hamlet of Castelluccio in the distance
Castelluccio - in Umbria - was in medieval times the most remote village in central Italy.
But there's a reason why it's there and it's the eerie Piano Grande, a plateau at 1,400 m (4,593 ft) above sea level that suddenly appears on the other side of the village.
Apparently in late spring it is full of wild flowers. It must be fantastic!
It is also famous for the production of the lenticchia (lentil) of Castelluccio.
We didn't stop long at all, as the skies opened and it was raining heavily (mixed with some sleet).
A few more pictures from the road approaching the other slightly higher (but snow free) mountain pass:
Here they planted some trees on the side of a barren mountain to show the map of Italy!
We made to Ascoli Piceno and in good time to visit this beautiful city.
So we were not too sure whether to carry on with the planned itinerary: reaching Ascoli Piceno via the Monti Sibillini National Park (so called because the legend says that one of the sibyls hid on a cave on one of these mountains).
As we had to negotiate two mountain passes, I was concerned that it may be snowing up there. But we decided to give it a go.
The first stop was the lovely village of Visso, where the Collegiata di Santa Maria
has a gigantic fresco of St. Christopher
The road after the town of Castelsantangelo Sul Nera
started to climb
and we soon lost track of the 'tornanti' or hairpin bends!
The views were spectacular
and it was all very quiet (apart from the barking of this aggressive dog - not happy when I took pictures of the sheep!)
By the time we reached pass Forca di Gualdo at almost 1,500 mt (4,900 ft) the road was flanked by snow
and a few minutes later we saw the hamlet of Castelluccio in the distance
Castelluccio - in Umbria - was in medieval times the most remote village in central Italy.
But there's a reason why it's there and it's the eerie Piano Grande, a plateau at 1,400 m (4,593 ft) above sea level that suddenly appears on the other side of the village.
Apparently in late spring it is full of wild flowers. It must be fantastic!
It is also famous for the production of the lenticchia (lentil) of Castelluccio.
We didn't stop long at all, as the skies opened and it was raining heavily (mixed with some sleet).
A few more pictures from the road approaching the other slightly higher (but snow free) mountain pass:
Here they planted some trees on the side of a barren mountain to show the map of Italy!
We made to Ascoli Piceno and in good time to visit this beautiful city.