Friday 6 January
Massa Trabaria and XIX Festa Nazionale della Befana in Urbania
The area is located at the boundary of 4 regions: Marche, Umbria, Toscana and Romagna and takes its name from the ancient Masse, medieval administrative divisions who enjoyed strong autonomy, so as not to be under the feudal lords but respond only to the church. The towns controlled the territory from the heights and resided there the Vicar Rector. The term “Trabaria” is related to the conspicuous presence of fir trees that for the wealth of forests and the forestry tradition has provided wood for the works of the Roman Empire until the British vessels of XVIII and XIX centuries. The loop hike passes through historic villages, an ancient watchtower and cross valleys and hills where you can still find active charcoal.
The ancient Castel Durante took its current name of Urbania in 1636 in honor of pope Urban VIII. In 1500 there was a thriving industry of tiles whose specialty was the fanciful decorations. Among the places to visit, in addition to Duomo, Teatro Durante, Museums and Barco Ducale, there is the famous Church of Dead, inside there’s the “Graveyard of Mummies” consists of bodies kept for over four centuries due to the presence of a particular mold lost the mood. In the town there is a house that is traditionally of the Epiphany and in January is home the National Day of the Epiphany, tradition of magic pre-christian origins that celebrates the “Old” who brings gifts to good children on the night between 5th and 6th.
Saturday 7 January
From Tallacano to Monte Savucco and visit of Ascoli Piceno
The Group of Ceresa is located east of the border between the Parks of Sibillini and Laga consisting predominantly of sandstone has a large presence of water and lush vegetation cover with the highest peak reaches the height of about 1500 meters. Among the many small towns there is Tallacano, whose name probably derives from the family “Tagliacane”, whose houses are built onto a rocky ridge where begin the route passes first through the small rural church of san Pietro and then to the picturesque canyon of Sasso Spaccato to get then to Savucco where the view is truly spectacular. The route passes through the green of forests of chestnut, hornbeam and beech along with reforestation of pines and firs.
Ascoli Piceno is the City of a hundred towers, Travertine, the many Churches and delicious stuffed Olives that make it one of the most charming and cozy old town in central Italy for the “heat” and the atmosphere you breathe walking through its Rue and Squares. From Piazza del Popolo with the Palace of the Captains, the lodges, the great church of st. Francis with the adjoining Loggia dei Mercanti and the historic Caffè Meletti to Piazza Arringo surrounded by palaces that host the Art Gallery and the Archaeological Museum with the Cathedral of sant’Emidio and singular Baptistery is a total immersion in history and art that from the time of Piceni to today has made Ascoli a unique place to visit and where “pleasantly get lost”.
Sunday 8 January
Path Sarnano 4 Yellow and XII Mostra Nazionale dei Presepi in Ripe san Ginesio
The campaign of high-end hill at the foot of the Sibillini Mountains in the area where is Sarnano offers a landscape of ordered cultivated fields interspersed by tree lines, green woods, old rural country, fresh streams and brooks descending from the mountains forming foaming waterfalls create a charming bucolic atmosphere. Roads, dirt roads, tracks and trails were joined together to form circular paths that starting directly from the village “visit” the territory through the various parishes in a series of enchanting glimpses where “breathes” the authentic country atmosphere in direct contact with the nature of the Marche always accompanied by the scenery of the magical and mysterious Monti Azzurri on the background.
The Macerata medieval village of Ripe san Ginesio between december and january become the italian “capital” of the nativity scene with the National Exhibition of Cribs in which they present celebrated masters that with their works they create a path between scenic locations in the streets of little old town center. Neapolitan cribs with neat and realistic expressions of the statues, with mechanical movements that give life to the scene, made of different materials such as straw, iron, paper, land (with life-size figures), sand and even “sculpted” in the ice are set in rooms and in the church of st. Michael the Archangel to which the local Art Gallery of contemporary Art combines an Exhibition on the theme of the Nativity.
For reservations, information:
escursioni@pierluigitomassetti.com – 0734 641395
