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Perugia Turismo

The three crosses of Monte Tezio

Difficulty: E
Total ascent/descent: 450 mts
Duration of the walk: 4 hours
Distance covered: 10,1 km

 The starting point of the walk from the parking area at the feet of Monte Tezio is at 580 mt asl. Follow the paved road upwards to the right until you reach the park entrance gate. The first part of the walk is a relatively steep ascent on a wide gravel road through the woods (sent 481).

Ignore the deviation to the left of sent. 482 (Tezio’s n° 2 path -Miralago) and continue until the ascent terminates at a little wooden hut to your left. This is the starting point of several trails. The one that we are going to follow starts with the steep stone steps to the left of the hut and takes us up through the woods on the western slope of the mountain (sent. 483). Stay on this path and ignore the sign that indicates Sentiero N. 1 off to the right.

The woods end and a rest stop on top of a craggy outcrop is a must to admire the magnificent views from Monte Malbe to Lake Trasimeno, the Cetona mountains to Monte Amiata in distant Tuscany to the west and the closer-by hills of Castel Rigone. Back on the path there is a hairpin turn which must be taken upwards to the right, ignoring the path that continues straight ahead. Once you reach an old barbed wire fence you will see a crossroads with arrows indicating Le Neviere (“snow pits”) to the right, and if you continue straight onwards you will get to the open fields at the top. Go to the left (sent. 482) to reach the “Parete Bellucci” (the Bellucci Wall). The path is flat here, although somewhat broken up, and do beware of the bits of abandoned rusty barbed wire along the way. The Bellucci Wall is a steep wall which is sometimes used by climbers for training and practice. It is dedicated to the founder of the Perugia chapter of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI), Giuseppe Bellucci. You will find a sign here that indicates Sentiero 2 downwards to the left, and another one indicating the Croce della Pieve (the Cross of the Parish Church). At this point you will have been walking for about an hour. Go left upwards towards the cross for about five minutes to reach the crest (sent. 481) and then continue on to the cross.

The view from up here is truly magnificent. Backtrack over the top of the mountain towards the large open fields that spread out in front of you. Off to your left you will soon find the imprint of an old service road and follow its undulating track until you reach the ‘Le Neviere’ (the Snow pits) sign. The true top of Monte Tezio (961 mt asl) is 150 mt to your left. Head towards the right and after 200 mts you will be at the conch of the snow pits. In the olden days compact snow was brought down from this spot in summer to cool the preelectricity fridges of the local inhabitants. Now head towards the South-East (sent. 489) over the grassy fields until you reach the wide descending road and, just before entering the woods, turn left on the traces of a trail which, hugging the south-eastern side of the mountain, leads down to the saddle between the two mountain humps. As you descend the path, which in the beginning is quite disconnected, it becomes easier to follow and will take you to the saddle where the service road that leads to the top of Monte Tezino runs.

About 100 mts before the antennas take a sharp left (sent 486) downwards to reach, rather quickly, the Croce di Fontenova (the New Fountain Cross). The slopes here are very steep and you can see Castel Procoio and Migiana di Monte Tezio down below, the entire central Apennine range on the horizon all the way to the distant Sibillini and Laga Mountains and, closer in, the pre- Apennines from Monte Acuto all the way to Monte Subasio above Assisi. Walk downwards for about 100 mts to the right to reach the Croce di Migiana (the Migiana Cross). Your altimeter here should read 715 mts asl and about three hours will have gone by since you left the parking area. Ascend a bit and get onto sent. 485 which runs along the slope of the mountain towards the south, and then enter the stand of pine trees. Continue for about 10 minutes on this undulating and shady trail until you reach, on a curve, sent. 484 which goes down to the Monte Tezio Hermitage (Romitorio).

Continue down to the left without leaving the wider trail and do not follow the deviation on the left for the Romitorio. After about 150 meters the trail narrows into a thin path. At the fork continue your descent until you finally reach the wide road, sent 484, which goes to the Belvedere. Take the road downwards to the left. At a certain point to your left you will see high green fencing which was put up in 1994 by the University to create a living space for, and study, a baby she-wolf found injured on Mt Subasio. After the wolf’s fence, you will soon reach the hut and, continuing downwards, the main entrance gate to the park.

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