ROUTE INFORMATION
Two routes, one destination:
On the border with Viterbo, Bomarzo and Soriano del Cimino there is a picturesque medieval village of 5271 inhabitants: Vitorchiano.
With its characteristic landscape and its historical value, this town proves to be of particular interest to fans of archaeology, but also of hiking: it is on its slopes that it is possible to find the passage to enter the path known as “Vitorchiano’s Ring”.
To reach the point of interest you can take the path N° 125E of the CAI (Italian Alpine Club), which starts right from the historic center of the already named municipality of Vitorchiano; to be precise, from Piazza Roma.
From this point, the length of the route extends over about 9 km of trail, for a total duration of 6 hours.
Despite the effort, those who choose this path will surely be rewarded with the view of the Chiesetta di San Michele, the hypogee dwellings, the moai of Vitorchiano, the Natural Reserve of Monte Casoli and other suggestive buildings that extend along the entire route to end the adventure in front of the splendid waterfalls of Martelluzzo.
However, this is not the only choice for those who decide to venture among the nature that makes up the ring, in fact there is another option to consider, different from the one suggested (it is important to highlight this second road, as there is no trace of it on the web, nor is it advertised by the municipality itself).
For this second proposal, the starting point is Piazza Roma. The secret? Take the path counterclockwise!
Taking advantage of this second route it will be possible to see the ruins of the Castle, an ancient church with a single aisle, the necropolis and the hypogee dwellings, then follow the course of the stream Vezza and finally arrive at the main attraction: the waterfalls of Martelluzzo.
The advantage of this second proposal lies in the fact that the duration is much less important (about 2 hours), without having to sacrifice the view of the artistic and natural beauties that have nothing to envy to the longer path.
FLORA E FAUNA
Contact with Nature is certainly a theme that, nowadays, is more and more treated and taken into consideration by all those who need to escape from the daily deadlines, to take refuge in the well-being given by uncontaminated landscapes and distant from today's life that we find ourselves leading.
For this reason the Vitorchiano Ring is the perfect place to get lost in the trees and enjoy what nature has been able to build.
Suitable for the more inexperienced, who can enjoy a frame made of chestnut trees, hazelnuts, oaks and many other species of shrubs, but also for the more experienced who can have fun discovering and recognizing the enormous amount of biodiversity existing within the path.
In addition to the majestic trees, there are curious species of mushrooms, such as the Lantern Fungus, the Chiomato Coprino and the Gazza Ink Fungus (it is recommended to handle mushrooms only if really experienced, as they could represent a danger).
But it doesn't end there! In fact, within the forest you can also find plants such as wild myrtle and wild cyclamen.
Not all the territory is characterized by the same microclimate and this involves the formation of more arid zones, born from the absence of trees, in which stand out plantations such as osiride and helicrisio, or thyme.
On the contrary, when the soil is particularly humid and shaded, plants that are certainly more characteristic of this type of environment come to life, such as ferns, trees such as Ontano and numerous species of mushrooms.
The plants are not the only tenants of the Ring, in fact if you are careful you can notice in the vegetation also donkeys, hedgehogs, hysteria, wild boar (not by chance, from September to January there is the hunting season -specially- to the boar, which is held weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, therefore it is advisable not to go to the Ring of Vitorchiano in these days) and dormice.
The presence of animals is normal, of course, but unfortunately not obvious, and those who enter their homes must always remember to do so with the utmost respect and love for what exists outside of the human being.
In short, there are many things to learn, and the Ring of Vitorchiano can be a pleasant adventure to discover new things!
The rules?
EYES OPEN AND AIRPLANE MODE: ON.
