Lost again

 

View Climbing from San Severo

Despite our failure to find a good map of the walking trails in the Martani mountains we felt reasonably confident that  it was within our capacity to find our way on a circular route from the tiny village of San Severo up onto the high plateau above the town and through the forest to the deserted village of Lo Scoppio and back. Stopping first at the local bar run by two delightful sisters and their mother for  most necessary coffee and cornetti we reached San Severo as sunrise touched the mountains- the best time of the day as the light is so exquisite.

After a steep four kilometer climb up an access track we reached the high plain, an area designated for community agricultural activity by the EU, specifically stock grazing. Here cows and horses roam freely with bells around their necks tinkling as they graze. Sadly  it is also a favourite  location for hunters seeking wild boar and we encountered several well organised outfits with packs of dogs. Hunters regard hikers as a nuisance and endeavour to deter them by destroying trail markers, which is a quite successful strategy as there are a number of trails criss crossing the mountains so getting lost is almost inevitable without GPS trax on a smart phone.

 

Hikers hut with vandalised map

On the high plain

Hunter Vehicle and dog van

Very soon we found ourselves in the predicament of needing to choose a direction without the aid of markers but a man in the hunters’ back up vehicle pointed us in what we hoped was the right direction as our path took us deep into the forest. Other than the occasional crack of gun shot it is so free of human noise on the plateau and in the mountains with only bird song and a breeze through the trees. We had indeed been given correct advice as within 45 minutes we sighted the bell tower of Lo Scoppio and in another 15 arrived. The stone houses seem very solid and with the most wonderful views over wooded mountains and a valley below we wondered why it had been abandoned? Was it its isolation perhaps?

 

Approaching Lo Scoppio

There has been some vandalism in the village; the church doors bashed in and flotsam from people dossing in the empty buildings but it is such a  lovely spot high on its stony outcrop. The little church is simple and one can still see 17C (probably) frescoes albeit somewhat faded but thankfully untouched as well as a basic stone altar. The bells have been removed from the tower but one can almost evoke how they would have echoed across the valley and mountains telling the hour.

 

Fresco decoration

Interior Church

Faded fresco in poor light

the Bell tower minus bells

We headed steeply down from the outcrop and then equally steeply up onto a parallel ridge revealing a different aspect of the village and then as we continued over Lake Firenzuola far below. Reaching the small hamlet of La Costa the trail markers petered out and we took what we believed to be the correct direction  only to become hopelessly lost and disoriented in the forest where we thrashed around in thick undergrowth  to find a way down. Frustrated and scratched we climbed up to find a view -point and fortuitously stumbled on a trail leading to a series of bird hides. Eventually we reached the outskirts of the village of Ocinelli where we inquired from an elderly couple the trail direction to San Severo and our car. Walking back along the road would have been a total capitulation so with renewed enthusiasm we marched on stopping for a fruit and water rest with a fine view of San Severo on its hill confident that now on a path our seamless arrival was guaranteed. Sadly not so as again the path petered out and in forest again we contemplated bush bashing again or walking through a farmer’s olive grove along a fence line, which is what we ultimately did and at last discovered the road up to the village, somewhat a defeat but not a humiliation.

 

bird hide

Remains from dossiers

Towards Firenzuola

Last view of Lo Scoppio

It is a great pity that this paradise for walking is not more effectively managed as it has the potential to create economic benefit for the mountain communities. Walkers could pay a fee to use the trails which would also lead to increased spending in  nearby villages and towns with hikers requiring accommodation and food . The difficulty in sourcing accurate maps is a significant deterrent to all but the most determined who understand when walking in this region there is a strong likelihood of getting lost. Even with the frustrations outlined above it is an experience that I wouldn’t choose to miss out on and there is always coffee at the end!

 

Nearly there- we thought!

Over the valley

Caso

Madonna astride, Caso

 Ever since I learned about a small church in the village of Caso in the Vallnerina where can be found the rare depiction of the Madonna astride a horse, I was keen to visit. Francesca sent me the original link, which piqued my interest so Ludovico and I made an aborted attempt to visit in 2017.,Having learned since that a visit could be arranged through the museum in San Anatolia di Narco Avbbie and I called into the museum to book a guided tour after a walk which ended in that town. 

A young woman at the ticket desk agreed to take us on the following Tuesday morning and the only issue for us was that the description would be in Italian.. We were however grateful just to be able to see the frescoes so it was fantastic when Francesca and Ludovico found themselves available to join us and thus explain.

 

interior Caso Churc

We met at the museum and drove the steep seven kilometres into the mountains to Caso and after parking set off on foot up a steep path through the village to the small simple 15c church, which sits on the edge of a deep wooded ravine. The roof had recently been restored so that the interior was protected, through funds raised by the Italian guides association. Our guide Eva explained that the 15 C structure had been built around a 14C shrine, which contained the earlier frescoes, in particular the cycle of the Madonna astride.

 

What a treat this was! The building filled with light when the doors on each side opened; unusually the church has no front door due to the circumstances of its construction but the paintings stunning and vibrant after more than 600 years.

 

crucifixion Lo Spagno?

The central painting of the Madonna on horseback is unusual in a number of aspects, principally that she is on a horse and astride but unusually she is richly dressed in the garb of a bishop and thus depicted as a powerful personage. The story refers to a miracle performed by Mary after meeting a small boy on the road and greeting him. It is not clear from the paintings what the miracle actually is, though it may have been related to raising a man from the dead from the appearance of an adjacent fresco, which possibly suggests such an event. Nothing is known about the authorship of the painting but it is likely to have been painted in the late 14 or early 15C, while on the walls of the church are displayed frescoes from the 16C some of which have been attributed to Lo Spagno, after Raphael the main pupil of Perugino and sought after for commissions in Central Italy in the early 16C. What a treasure trove and how fortunate we were to have access.

 

The madonna in close up

After a short visit to the beautiful cemetery adjacent to the church and overlooking a wooded ravine we climbed this time up through the village and then made the short drive to another special forest site, the church of Santa Christina dedicated to that saint and of particular importance to women in their quest for marriage.  Prayers to and the worship of Santa Christina as a protector of women was ubiquitous because to find a husband was a matter of survival for women in the 15&16 C as the only means of economic security. The only other option was to become a nun and to secure that future for a daughter the family was required to pay a significant sum to the church. For a woman who did not marry or become a nun there was only one other possible future- that of prostitution, which is why the blessing of Santa Christina was critical for women of the time. 

 

Church Cristina

Inside are interesting, 12 C frescoes of the final judgment, almost cartoonish in their naivety, and more sophisticated in style but horrible in subject, the torture of St Catherine. Our guide through Francesca explained the iconography of particular symbols and objects which would have been clearly understood at the time of composition but today clearly require decoding, which understanding thoroughly enriched our experience.

Another stunningly beautiful church both inside and out and this opportunity for the paltry sum of 5 euro! 

 

Santa Cristina

Torture and martyrdom of St Catherine

Santa Cristina

We returned to San Anatolia to a visit to the small but fascinating Ethnographic museum mostly dedicated to the local tradition of spinning and weaving, particularly of hemp. This tradition, which structured the life of women in the local area is disappearing and the museum through its work offers workshops to schools and to adults interested in the craft through the efforts of a group of talented and committed young women artists and social historians.

We were offered a guided tour by one of these young women at no cost and what a privilege that was! We learned that young girls were required to learn the art of weaving in order to make clothing and household goods, which would then enable them to find a husband. A girl needed to demonstrate her mastery of this skill and would assemble a trousseau of her work, which with a dowry she took to her new home. Hemp as the main local crop was the source of fabric  and used also for rope making, building materials, soap and some foodstuffs.

Another space was dedicated to hemp growing and processing, this largely the work of men and we watched a video where two very old men who live in the village still describe and demonstrate aspects of this traditional work. Sadly after WW2 hemp growing and thus the practice of weaving gradually disappeared as young people moved to cities in search of a sustainable future.

The loom

In the final room was displayed an installation of woven human hair, interestingly collected from hair dressing shops in Australia and a collaboration between an Australian artist and two of the young women at the museum, including our lovely guide; very strange but somewhat compelling. The final aspect of the tour is a fine collection of woven items donated to the museum, including the prototype of a men’s jacket made from hemp by the Crucinelli cashmere company. 

Installation of human hair

Woven hair

After thanking the fantastic museum women we drove to lovely Scheggino, a small village on the river Nera famous for its trout, where we had a delicious baked trout lunch in a sunny room overlooking the river at Ristorante del Ponte. Afterwards we drove to the town of Norcia, which suffered significant damage in the 2016 earthquake to find a walking map of the Martani mountains apparently available at the tourist office but the office was of course closed. The town feels like a graveyard in contrast to its previous vitality and bustle but there is significant restoration and construction work going on so hopefully the historical centre will be restored and the tourists will return.

Earthquake damage

ruined Cathedral Norcia

We were dining at Casale Fusco during the evening, a collaboration between our wonderful hosts Andrea and Vincenzo and their friends and talented cooks, Nicolo and Carena with a menu of typical Umbrian dishes. What a feast; antipasti followed by strangozzi pasta and truffle (the local spaghetti), turkey with grilled vegetables and salad and homemade gelato and fresh fruit.  A fantastic sagrantino from the Casale vineyards accompanied the meal and afterwards a range of liquers. We literally rolled upstairs to our apartment with some doubt about our capacity to undertake a strenuous morning walk after such largesse. A suitable end to another fantastic day in Umbria.