Summary
- Starting point: Bettona
- Duration: 4:45 h
- Length: 19.16 km
- Difficulty level: medium
1. Bettona - Collemancio
The starting point for this itinerary is the main square of Bettona, near the church, town hall and museum. Before setting out, a stroll down the narrow streets of the historic centre is a must and we walk around the town walls, which afford a sweeping view of the valley of Assisi as well as the hills and mountains of much of Umbria. Upon leaving town, we take the paved road towards Cinque Cerri. There are many views of the wooded slopes that, to the west and south, encircle the promontory of Bettona. From this strategic and highly panoramic point, we can see the Capuchin monastery close to the town as well as the Villa del Boccaglione in the Topino river valley near Passaggio di Bettona.
We continue through the olive groves to Cinque Cerri and, from here, along unpaved roads and tracks through woods – composed mainly of holm oaks, arbutuses, heather, turkey oaks and maples – we descend to the wide road along the Sambro torrent. This part of the route goes through a typical forest that, in addition to the other flora described here, also has butcher’s broom and numerous chestnut trees. After crossing the Sambro, the track climbs steeply through the turkey-oak woods that give way to heather and Spanish broom, gradually opening up to characteristic olive groves. When we come to a track along the ridge, close to mixed scrub, there is a paved segment. At this point, we head uphill to the right until we come to a rural structure (Vocabolo Casa Porzi). From here, the road goes to the village of Collemancio. Along this part of the route, we can take a brief but worthwhile detour to visit the Roman ruins of Urvinum Hortense and enjoy the views of Assisi and Spello, as well as the broad valley at the foot of Monte Subasio. The road takes us to Collemancio, which is also worth a stop. It is the site of a famous festival during which passers-by are offered wine poured directly from barrels; it also boasts the lovely church of Santo Stefano (16th century) and the Palazzo del Podestà (14th century). From the archaeological area, we head back down to the Sambro valley and take the wide road along the valley floor, turning off to the left to head back up to Bettona, going through a well-preserved area with old farmhouses and olive groves.
The total length of the itinerary is 19.160 km.