Parco Fluviale del Nera: Itineraries: Colleponte

Colleponte - Umbriano

Trail Conditions: On foot

Departure: Colleponte (270m)
Arrival: Umbriano (385m)
Duration: 45 minutes
Difficulty Level: T - Tourist (level)
Length: 1.4 km

The charm of an ancient ghost town
This trail is particularly evocative from the naturalistic point of view, due to the presence of valuable vegetable essences, but also from the historic and anthropic one. The itinerary starts from Colleponte (270 m. amsl), a fortified centre of medieval origins that formed, together with Macenano, the ancient Castle of Capo la Terra. Inside the village of Colleponte you can note the fortress and the church of San Giovanni Evangelist, once dedicated to Sant'Apollinare (single-aisle building with gabled roof, renovated in the 17th century) and the Church of Madonna delle Grazie. Separated from Colleponte by SS 209 Valnerina, Macenano (315 m. amsl) is the highest part of the ancient castle and today it is a rural hamlet developing around the road to the Abbey. On the inside you can find the Church of Sant'Anna (18th century) and, on the main square, the Church of Sant'Antonio Abbot (14th century, renovated in the 18th century). The itinerary retraces a striking stretch of the ancient Valnerina road, which once was an essential connection for the transportation of people and goods along the valley and the junction of several transversal itineraries among parallel valleys. Going uphill you can finally reach the small castle of Umbriano (385 m. amsl), an ancient hillside castle of high-medieval origin. For a long time completely abandoned, this is placed on the steep northern slope of Mount Sant'Angelo, in a naturally fortified location, and its origin seemingly dates back to the period of the Saracen invasions. The castle, whose position exactly mirrors that of the Abbey of San Pietro in Valle, is formed by several buildings lined up along the main road, which ends at the foot of a high square tower, still visible today also from the valley. From Macenano you can also reach the Abbey of San Pietro in Valle (364 m. amsl), once a high-profile religious but also political and economic centre. From Umbriano it is possible to reach Sella Sant'Angelo (730 m. amsl) and Mount Sant'Angelo (945 m. amsl), where the remains of the small church of Sant'Angelo (868 m. amsl) are visible.