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Newsletter August 2009
Italy, hiking in Lazio: Mount Petrella, the Aurunci Mountains’ highest peak
Topic : Itinenaries
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Itinerary :
La Valle and Mt Petrella
Hiking track from Ciaia di Biviano (parking area) to Mt Petrella (1,533 m altitude)
La Valle and Mt Petrella (Nearest points of reference Italian Alpine Club (CAI) mountain trails n. 9 and 68)
Itineraries length:
Height:
Biviano: 450 mt
Biviano Parking area: 920 mt
Mt Strampaduro peak: 1,135 mt
La Valle: 1,050 mt
Fossa Joanna: 1,317 mt
Mt Petrella peak: 1,533 mt
Biviano – La Valle: 3.4 Km
Strampaduro – Mt Petrella peak: 3,55 Km
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Starting point :
Gaeta’s marina Via Lungomare Caboto – 25 minutes drive to the mountain village of Spigno Saturnia Superiore (Tot. 23,6 Km) – then, take the mountain road called La Valle for 2 more Km up to the parking area of Biviano, about 500 meters before the end of the driveway road.
From the little village, Via del Campo will take you to the area of Biviano where you can leave the car in a large clearing area with no trees around. Alternatively, a mountain track cutting and shortening the overall path can allow you to leave the car at 450 mt of altitude soon after leaving the village (but the overall distance increases so make sure you are fit enough!)
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Height difference from the parking area:
613 mt approx. from Biviano parking area
Time way in:
approximately 2 hours from Biviano to
La Valle and 2 hours from La Valle to
Mt Petrella peak
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Difficulty: Medium-high
Overall Length of the path: 6,950 Km approx. (one way only)
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The South Pontino in Italy is wonderful walking territory, not only for its great variety of terrain but also for the nearness to the sea. The great plus of southern Lazio is that, like everywhere in Italy, you'll be hiking in epicurean land with the opportunity to taste the excellent local South Pontino cuisine and wines.
Far from the crowds of both Rome and Naples, with rugged peaks, wild gorges and no easy access roads, the Aurunci Mountains have been for long time the silent witnesses of these secluded territories in the southernmost area of Lazio. For very long and until not long ago’ until the institution of the Aurunci Mountains Natural Park in 1997 most of the excursionists were not even able to point them out on Italy’s road maps. The South Pontino will be a nice surprise with its colorful fishing towns and villages, sandy coves and wooded hills running steeply down to the blue South Tyrrhenian Sea. Spectacular views and breathtaking trails are waiting for you. During summer temperatures often go up well over 30 °C in lower valleys: whether you're searching for easy wide roads or difficult trails you have plenty of choices.
 Click Here to see the Photos of the Newsletter
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Italy hiking: Mount Petrella, the itinerary
From the old village of Spigno Saturnia Superiore nestled uphill at 360 mt on the eastern Aurunci Mountains it is necessary to reach the location of Ciaia di Biviano (m. 920). Here starts a mule track to continue on foot up to the highest peak (1.533 mt) of the Aurunci Mountains to enjoy a majestic view of mountains and sea on the east side of the Aurunci Mountains Natural Park. From the tiny village historic centre passed the Church of Santa Croce there is a dirt track where you can drive up to the location of Ciaia di Biviano with a larger clearing where to leave the car.
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The old mule track is rather steep but not too difficult and leads up to Sella della Valle (1.133 mt) before becoming a narrower footpath crossing wild woods up to the highest Aurunci Mountais peak, Mount Petrella. The path is all uphill up to 1,533 meters above the sea level (5,030 feet). Once passed the dense woods of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) the trail climbs the northern slope of Mt Petrella touching Mt Strampaduro and Cima dello Stretto. The woods of beech offer a different natural scenario shaped by the seasons: in late spring, with a beautiful shade of dark green when the new leaves have just budded on the branches and October when the Mediterranean forest glows with yellow, red and gold colors.
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If you are fit enough for a longer and very charming itinerary in the Mediterranean wilderness then you may want to start you path at 450 meters (before you reach the parking area) in the locality of Biviano where the path is marked by a very well visible handrail. The itinerary is very suggestive and climbs the eastern Aurunci by crossing patches of Mediterranean forest with woods of Downy Oak (Quercus pubescens) and Hop-hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia) both native and very typical in southern Europe.
From the parking area at 920 meters, hikers can follow a rocky path on which large, spectacular ferns (Pteridium aquilinum), Kenilworth Ivy (Cymbalaria muralis) and Common Laburnum (Laburnum anagroydes) abounds accompanying the escursion. At the beginning of June their blooming creates a magical golden frame for the lucky hikers. Along the path the scent of wild plants like the wild sage (Salvia officinalis)
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hit the senses and the tall shape of Daphne oleoides with creamy white flowers plenty of showy orange berries, cypress spurge (Euphorbia cypresses L.) and Hoary rockrose (Helianthemum canum) adorn the way to the peak.
Click Here to see the Photos of the Newsletter
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The trail goes on proceeding by sharp turns in alternating directions and crossing among a wood of Italian Maple (Acer opalus) and Manna Ash (Fraxinus ornus), two species native to the hills and mountains of southern and western Europe and very common on the Aurunci Mountains. This wood comes just before one of the most enchanting traits of the trail with vast, open fields of wild sage (Salvia officinalis) covering the right slopes just before Sella della Valle, between Mt Strampaduro and Mt Forte; in the springtime these slopes are colored with the spectacular blooming of dozens of Mediterranean wild flowers and plants, among which many wild orchids found only here on the Aurunci Mountains.
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Italy: Aurunci Mountains, Mediterranean wilderness
The flora of the Aurunci Mountains is very varied and rich with over 1.900 species in the park boasting a variety of wild orchids which few regions can display in Italy and Europe. The undergrowth is enriched by several species of bluebells, anemones, narcissuses and wild orchids among which the rare Red Helleborine (Cephalanthera rubra), quite difficult to be found on the Aurunci. Among the most rare the Amelanchier ovalis, commonly known as Snowy Mespilus, the Scorzonera austriaca, the wild yellow onion (Allium flavum) and Centaurea rupestris.
At 1.317 meters above the sea the trail forks and in one side goes to Fossa Juanna and Fontana Canale while on the other footpath reaches the summit.
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There are several itineraries to reach Mt Petrella’a summit and this is the longest and one of the most beautiful for the variety of its landscape. During winter the itinerary on the northern flank of Mt Petrella it is more arduous due to the snow level that often can be quite high.
Once reached Sella della Valle the trail forks in two directions. Following the right trail hikers can enjoy the view of a karst mountain plateau where you can still see the ruins of old farms and water cisterns used long time ago’ by the few people, mainly shepherds and woodsmen who lived here in isolation for centuries in these mountains and valleys. If you have abundance of time you can prolong the hike by visiting the deep valley under Sella della Valle on the southern slopes of Mt Forte where the forest includes many trees of European mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia) a beautiful species of tree which is an important source of food for wild birds.
The valley (La Valle) is still a place where you can meet the local shepherds from May to October. You can recognise the shepherds’ old huts, the cattle drinking troughs and the old water cisterns near where the path start climbing towards the peak. This area, like many others around the Aurunci Mountains has many semi-domestic animals roaming free. Anyone hiking over the Aurunci Mountains trails will note their presence. All over the park, in fact, are horses, cattle, sheeps and goats raised in the wild on the pastures of the mountains. The shepherds and stock breeders live in the surrounding villages of Spigno Saturnia Superiore, Esperia, Selvacava, Pico and others go up to the mountains periodically to keep an eye on their animals whose roaming is limited by the few drinking through and springs in the area. Typical wooden corrals are periodically used to capture and brand the animals. If you are lucky enough you can even buy the most genuine and fresh products like the goat cheese produced here called Marzolina which is found only in southern Lazio.
With time in your hands, you can walk La Valle until Morroncelli and Cisterna Cupa in the territory of the village of Esperia where you can see the view of Valle di Fraile and Polleca (two more large valleys). Following the initial itinerary from Sella della Valle (1.133 mt) you will see the footpath along the Eastern flank of Mt Petrella which pass all the way through a dense wood of beech right on the crests of Mt Strampaduro and Cima dello Stretto.
At 1.397 you will see on the right the path to reach Fossa della Juanna and Fontana Canale. Fossa della Juanna is a bit of mythical place among the local forest. The local people believe that this place used to be a meeting place were witches meet and perform their arcane and obscure rituals. They were usually respected for their 'knowledge' and in some cases feared in the light of the 'spells' they could cast.
From here, keeping climbing towards the summit, during springtime it’s possible to enjoy the multicolor blooming of many beautiful wild flowers. Among them the Aquilegia, the poisonous Varatro (Veratrum nigrum L.) and the rare specimenof Belladonna (in Italian means beautiful woman) (Atropa belladonna L.), whose leaves were used in olden times
to be collected for their curative properties or dried and used as tobacco by the local shepehers and woodsmen. Euphorbia mirsinites is another unusual plant, resembling a cluster of elongated silvery-green fir cones, with pale silvery green scale-like leaves overlapping all the way along the prostrate stems. Along the path the Allium saxatile, a species coming in many colors and forms. Among my favorites is the white one, ever so slightly tinged pink on the reverse of the petals, and the long stamens. The well visible House leek (Sempervivum tectorum subspecies italicum), a pretty looking wild cactus plant with red-pinkish flowers also accompanies the hikers especially in sunny spots along the path.
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The fauna is present and among the most interesting wildlife many species of birds of prey, the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata), the European hare (Lepus capensis), Beech marten (Martes foina), Marten (Martes martes), the European badger (Meles meles), the red fox(Vulpes vulpes), the wild cat (Felis silvestris molisana, the Italian sub-species), the wild boar (Sus scrofa) and, recently the return of few young wolves (Canis lupus italicus) also known as the Apennine Wolf found in few Italian regions. Unfortunately, while the situation is slowly getting better due to the government protection, the wildlife remains very diffident and difficult to spot due to hunting and persecution over the past centuries.
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Mount Petrella and the Aurunci: the scenery
From Sella della Valle it takes on average 1 and 40 minutes to climb a height difference of 400 meters along an itinerary that gets even more spectacular. Having a pack lunch on the peak of Mount Petrella is a joy for the soul and eyes. The view from the summit is magnificent especially in a day when the wind comes from north. In a clear day the dramatic scenery around the summit ranges from the Pontine islands archipelago in the open sea (towards south) to the promontory of Mount Circeo (another National Park towards west), the Liri Valley and Abruzzi mountains (towards north), the beautiful Matese Mountains National Park (towards east) and Vesuvius with the islands around the Gulf of Naples in Campania (towards south east).
Once here you can understand why these majestic and lonely mountains deserve the nick name of ‘terraces over the Mediterranean Sea’ due to the fact that they are the closest Italian mountain over 1,500 mt high to the sea.
You will see the wonderful panorama over the Tyrrhenian sea framed by secluded valleys, solitary, mystical gorges and beautiful woodland with the view of vast plains under a sky whose color blends with the Mediterranean sea. The majestic views will stay in your memories forever.
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