The first stage, entirely on the Umbrian-Marche ridge, has average length but it is really easy (almost all on dirt roads) and mostly downhill.
You walk fast without big surprises, admiring the town of Monte Castello from the top of Monte Fiorino.
In several passages, the indications are very scarce: many intersections totally lack signage. Better use the GPS, to avoid getting lost.
Water points are absent: bring a good supply.
From Bocca Trabaria, instead of following the indications of the European Path E1, we take the path that goes around Monte di Sant'Antonio from the north. When we reach the Sbocco le Macinelle (1,031 m), we connect to the E1 cart track and continue, passing through various wind turbines near Montaccio.
We walk for a long time on the dirt road, with barely perceptible ups and downs, up to Monte le Forche (922 m), where the road that climbs from the town of Parnacciano arrives not far from a farmhouse. We take the dirt road on the left, to turn right a little later, and reach Monte Moricce (9.66 m). We enter again on the dirt road, which we take to the left. At the next two crossroads, we always keep to the right, staying on the E1.
After a few kilometers, we reach Monte Fiorino (830 m) and the panorama finally opens onto the Umbrian side, towards Città di Castello. At the next crossroads, we still keep to the right, to take shortly after the wide path on the left, leading us easily to Bocca Serriola, which divides the Biscubio Valley from the Tiberina one.
Ancient documents attest to the presence of a small Jewish community in the town of Apecchio from the second half of 1400 to 1631, the year in which it was transferred to the ghettos of other cities in the Marche. The documents regulated the activities that the Jews could carry out: trade of fabrics, leathers, and various goods and usury.
Several testimonies of the Jewish presence remain in a building that still has some religious signs of the ancient Synagogue. Here remained also the small low vaulted oven, without a flue pipe, used for baking unleavened bread, and an alley, 28 meters long and 37 to 42 centimeters wide (one of the narrowest in Italy), which separated the neighborhood from the rest of the town.
In the hamlet of Colombara, you can see the Globe of Peace, the second largest in the world (it was in the Guinness Book of Records until the 1990s): it has a diameter of 10 meters and can rotate on its axis thanks to two motors, imitating the earth motion.
In Apecchio the medieval bridge over the Biscubio river is very beautiful, with its typical "donkey's back" shape. A curiosity: to prevent the wagons pulled by animals from sliding back on the uphill stretch, herringbone stone curbs have been placed along the pavement of the bridge.
Typical of Apecchio is the delicious salmì del prete, a traditionally noble dish.
It is made by cooking meat cut into small pieces (mostly game) on a spit and covering it in layers with ham, capers, anchovies, gineprella, onion, garlic, sage, and peppercorns. On top of the layers (up to three), oil and vinegar are poured and everything is cooked until the vinegar has evaporated.
The excellent local craft beers accompany the salmì (there are three establishments in the village: Amarcord, Collesi, and Venere). The red one is especially recommended.
Rifugio Bocca Serriola, at the pass of the same name. Tel. +39 075 8552449
Starting point reachable by car.
Departure point NOT reachable by bus.
The nearest location reachable by bus is Lamoli, starting from the city of Pesaro with a change in Urbino.
Here the LINK to check the timetables.
Starting point NOT reachable by train.
Va' Sentiero is a grassroot project, thanks to the spontaneous contribution oft housands of people.
Even the most complicated dream, a 7,000km uphill dream,
can be achieved... together.
Grazie!
