This content was automatically translated. View the original text.
A stage on the Sansepolcro branch.
Perched on a rocky ridge, the impervious hermitage of Cerbaiolo impresses the eye with its particular mystical and rugged beauty, reminiscent of the Sanctuary of La Verna. In fact, there is a popular saying: "He who has seen La Verna and not Cerbaiolo has seen the mother and not the son".
The route heads towards the village of Piero della Francesca, Sansepolcro, through the Alpe della Luna Nature Reserve, a chain of mountainous reliefs covered by trees and mountain pastures that runs along the Apennine ridge. It is punctuated by spectacular blocks of sandstone and marl, such as the Ripa della Luna, a wall that rises to over 1,400 metres above sea level, reaching the highest point of the reserve.
When you cross the small wooden bridge over the foaming Fosso di Stianta river - a tributary of the Tignana that rises from the nearby Monte dei Frati - you are about halfway through the stage. Descending towards the valley, you reach the endpoint in the locality of Montagna. The tiny hamlet of Sansepolcro lies at the foot of the Alpe della Luna mountain range. With just a few dozen inhabitants living in traditional stone dwellings, it has a timeless charm and is also a place of worship. Sansepolcro is home to the Church of St Michael Archangel and the Chapel of the Blessed Ranieri, named after the Franciscan friar from the village, who dedicated his life to the poor and was venerated immediately after his death.
