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In Venarotta, you can visit the votive church of Our Lady of Grace. This octagonal building is also known as the Cardinal's church, as it was commissioned by Cardinal Ottavio Bandini in gratitude for a favour received through Fra Serafino of the Capuchin convent in Ascoli. Inside, visitors can admire paintings depicting the Miracle, by the renowned artist Simone De Magistris.
Leaving the village, which welcomes pilgrims to the charming Hostel of Saints Francis and James - a church-convent probably founded in 1220 by St Francis himself - the trail begins to climb. You ascend the various hairpin bends up to the hilltop, from which a majestic view opens up. Continue along the grassy ridge and, crossing the steep slopes of Costa Amatucci, follow the path in the opposite direction to the descent that leads to Venarotta.
As you continue, the landscape tells the story of an area that, like Amandola, is renowned for its truffles: thanks to the particular soil conditions, microclimate and vegetation, some of the most prized and fragrant varieties of truffle grow here.
The path continues as far as Palmiano, the smallest municipality in the province of Ascoli Piceno, and then passes through the village of Tavernelle, the endpoint of this stage.
