Parco Fluviale del Nera: Itineraries: Mount Pennarossa Trails

Mount Pennarossa Trails

Trail Conditions: On foot

Duration: 4 hour/s
Difficulty Level: E - Hiking (level)
Length: 7 km

Let's discover together the wonders of the waterfall environment
The ring route has three possible starting points: Piazzale Vasi (inside the tourist area of the Marmore Waterfalls, it is necessary to purchase a ticket), San Liberatore and Collestatte. This is a very interesting route, especially under the landscape profile due to the presence, in several places along the trail, of enchanting panoramic views of the Marmore Waterfalls, particularly valuable from a strictly landscape point of view. From Piazzale G.Vasi (204 m. amsl) near the waterfall, the trail ascends to Belvedere Giuseppe Federico Gmelin (German painter and engraver 1760-1820), where you can get a frontal view of the water jump. From this viewpoint the trail, after a short rise, arrives at Pennarossa, where it is possible to make great sightings, including botanical ones. In fact the area is rich in vegetable species, allowing interesting didactic exercises. After hiking over a ring itinerary, you cover again the initial stretch, particularly evocative and capable of offering majestic views of the most famous waterfall in Europe. The trail proceeds like a ring around Mount Pennarossa to the inhabited centre of San Liberatore (420 m. amsl), another possible starting point of the route. The hamlet of recent origins developed around the historic centre, consisting of an ancient monastery, formerly Benedectine and later Franciscan, of which remains the valuable Church of Santa Croce, built in the early 16th century and named after San Liberatore from the 17th century; on the inside there are some frescos of Spagna's school. From San Liberatore you can go on a brief excursion to the Park of Batteria (525 m. amsl), a place where during the second world war an anti-aircraft battery was installed, in order to defend the city of Terni and the nearby steelworks from the allied airstrikes; today it is possible to see some remains of some devices of the small barrack. From Pennarossa you descend to Colle Raso, from which it is possible to reach the medieval castle of Collestatte (359 m. amsl), another possible starting point of the itinerary, which maintains its original character and perimeter walls still in good conditions; inside the hamlet, you can note the Menassei Palace, seat of the communal district, and the Church of San Pietro with its bell tower dating back to the 16th century. Another noteworthy point: between Collestatte and San Liberatore the remains of one aisle of the very ancient Pieve di Santa Maria, which dates back to the high-medieval era, are still visible in the walls of a building. From Piazzale G.Vasi (Italian engraver 1710-1782), after purchasing a ticket, you can enter Piazzale Byron (English poet 1788-1824), from which it is possible to access the Marmore Waterfalls trails.