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The sight of the ruins of Montalto Castle announces your exit from Cessapalombo, the northern gateway to the Sibillini Mountains National Park. From here, you travel for a few kilometres along paved sections of a minor municipal road. At the sides of the road, every so often you will see stone monuments commemorating the young partisans who were shot here. The road is called Via dei Partigiani and the tragic episode, known as the Montalto massacre, dates back to 22 March 1944.
Continuing on, you reach the Castle of Vestignano, a small jewel nestling in woodland, with walls, towers, alleys, archivolts and underpasses. Its origins date back to the eighth century, while the renovation was carried out by the Da Varano family in the 15th century. Outside the walls is the Church of St Martin, which, like many rural parish churches, had already been used to welcome pilgrims as early as the year 1000. Notable features inside the church include the paintings by the De Magistris family. However, the church is currently unfit for use due to earthquake damage. At the exit of the village, in a hollow in the ground under the mighty roots of an ancient oak tree, every year during the Christmas period the inhabitants set up a small but unique nativity scene.
The path continues until it reaches Castel di Croce, which dates back to medieval times. All that remains of the ancient fortress is the polygonal tower, now the bell tower of the parish church. The inner courtyard of the castle, with the classic well in the centre, is charming.
Following dirt tracks and chalk-limestone roads, you pass Castiglione and reach Pievefavera, whose castle dominates the area. A visit to the village, with its view of Lake Caccamo and the Caldarola plain, is a must. Among the alleys, arches and squares, you can breathe in centuries of history, thanks to the famous stone-built oil mills that are still in operation and have been preserved in the basements of Palazzo Sparapani.
Leaving the castle, the route follows an unpaved road and then a dirt track that leads into the woods. After crossing a gravelly slope planted with olive trees, you reach the village of Valcimarra, where you can take a break at the washhouse and the water fountain.
Continuing along the valley, you come to the impressive Church of Our Lady of the Rock. Beyond the sanctuary, the path leads to the ruins of the ancient village of Fiungo, across a scenic meadow that offers wide views of the surrounding area. A little further down, you reach the hamlet of Fiungo, along an unpaved road with vehicle access.
From here, the route enters a sparse forest, following a path on a gentle gradient that allows you to admire the imposing Rocca di Varano, perched atop a rock on the other side of the valley. You then reach the hamlet of Valdiea, where there is a washhouse and a fountain to refill water bottles.
Leaving the village, you descend to the valley floor and, for a short stretch, the path follows the river. Along a series of mule tracks and sections of an old footpath, you reach the hamlet of San Giusto in San Maroto. Its splendid church - considered one of the most beautiful and important examples of Romanesque architecture in Le Marche - is worth a visit.
