Among the numerous short proposals created in recent years, the delicious one stands out Walk of the Silent Villages: four days in the green heart of Italy, in deep medieval Umbria. Born from the passion of the hiking guide Marco Fioroni, the project managed to involve local realities in the reception and during the walk you are greeted and pampered by the inhabitants who understood the tourist value of this route.
But it's not just the awareness of its economic value: there is a pleasure, an affability; the pride of someone who invites you into their beautiful home, proud to show you the area, curious to know who comes to visit them. A journey of human relationships such as is rarely encountered and where one can regain the slow pace of life and contact with nature. But as the name suggests, the highlight of the journey are the thirteen villages crossed: suggestive, clean, tidy, and with genuine and tasty cuisine.
The circular route winds along the northern slopes of the Amerini Mountains and it can be covered on foot in four or five days and by bicycle in two. Upon departure, the credential is collected, to be stamped along the route and necessary to take advantage of discounts at affiliated activities and to access donations and hostels.
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From Tenaglie to Melezzole
24 km • 7:30 h
After the cordial welcome at the headquarters of Amerini Trekking we are ready to immerse ourselves in the serene countryside of olive trees, cypresses and plowed fields of the Val Serana. The extraordinary viewpoint of Guardea Castle introduces you to the streets of the village of the same name, where it's time for a stop for a sandwich with capocollo or grilled aubergines.
Three hours of walking then lead us to the suggestive silent and deserted village of Santa Restituta, nestled among chestnut woods. The route continues through woods of soft and nuanced beauty. We cross the beautiful circular and walled village of Toscolano and now the footsteps are already echoing in the silent alleys of Melezzole, where a shower and a clean change wash away the tiredness of this first day of walking.
Read also: “Umbria in a camper, from Guardea to Alviano”
From Melezzole to Acqualoreto
22 km • 8:15 h
Mountain stage that leads through ancient chestnut groves to the 997 meters of Monte Croce di Serra, from where we embrace almost the entire ring, with a view that also opens onto the Tiber Valley and the Apennines. We descend into sunny and pleasant woods on a sheep track that retains the charm of a path. Umbria is not just a small region: it is a whole world where even time has a different rhythm.
A few more ups and downs and we are in the tiny and panoramic village of Morruzze, where a fountain rinses away some tiredness. There isn't much left to reach the charming town of Acqualoreto, where before the well-deserved shower we linger among the books of a well-stocked bookcrossing.
Read also: “What to see around the Marmore Falls in 2 days”
From Acqualoreto to Baschi
24 km • 8 hours
A tasty breakfast and we are on our way through an area dotted with silent and isolated farmhouses. The road becomes a path and through the ancient stones ofPasquarella Hermitage it takes us to cross the entire side of the wild valley of the same name which falls into the nearby Tiber. Among strawberry trees and turkey oaks we are in the panoramic village of Civitella del Lago, from where Amiata, Orvieto and Monte Cimino appear in the mists.
We play for a long time with white roads and sheep tracks under a sky of clouds that enhances the green of this region: the silvery green of the olive trees, the gray green of the turkey oaks, the bright green of the meadows and new shoots. We lap Lake Corbara and the last ups and downs finally deposit us at Basques, a less silent village than the others, high above the Tiber and the roaring motorway.
Read also: “Trip through the villages of Umbria: in a camper in Deruta”
From Baschi to Tenaglie
16 km • 5:30 h
Short final stage of the Cammino dei Borghi Silenti which, after an initial asphalted stretch, takes us to a pleasant clay ridge, between rows of olive trees and views of the Tiber valley. A tortuous path passes the particular Umbrian-Etruscan Necropolis of the Vallone San Lorenzo, with over fifty tombs dug into the soft sandstone. We finally go back to the walled village of Montecchio, where we are sucked into the crowded workshop of Andreina and David, masters of wicker and olive weaving.
It's time to rest on the chairs of a trattoria, with a lunch of bruschetta and umbricelli, cheese, pepper, truffle and crispy bacon. Another up and down and we're back to Tongs, where Marco welcomes us on the threshold of Amerini Trekking. Stamps, parchment and this adventure also comes to an end.
Read also: “Umbria in a camper: the village of the cliff in Orvieto”
Walk of the Silent Villages
- Length 86 km
- Travel time 4 or 5 days
- Difficulty Hiking
- Recommended period Spring and autumn
- Do not miss A dinner with the delicacies of Semiramide restaurant of Melezzole and the bookcrossing point under the arch of the Porta Antica of Acqualoreto.
- How to Get There: The starting point in Tenaglie can also be reached from the stations of Alviano Scalo or Orvieto with a shuttle service that can be booked on the route website.
Where to stop
- Amerini Trekking tongs, Via dei Pini 7, secure car park with 20 spaces
- Civitella del Lago Camping il Falcone, Vallonganino 2/A, tel. 0744 950249, www.campingilfalcone.com
- Basques Tiber Green Village, SS 448 Km 8, Località Salviano 60, tel. 0744 1925383, www.teveregreenvillage.com, PLEINAIRCLUB 10% discount excluding August
- Montecchio Bartolomei oil mill, Cagnano 6, tel. 0744 951395, www.oleificiobartolomei.it, PLEINAIRCLUB 10% discount on the purchase of oil
- Agriturismo Le Casette, Le Casetta, tel. 0744 957645 lecasetteumbria@gmail.com, www.lecasetteagriturismoumbria.com
Text and photos by Marco Sances
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