HISTORIC GEMS IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS
If you like walking, if you love hiking, you can find 35 marked trails, for a total of over 170 km, of varying length and various levels of difficulty.
Some are touristic, others for expert hikers and adventure lovers. In each path you can admire the gold-faunal riches typical of this pre-Apennine environment. It is worth taking a detailed guide and following the signs.
SAN VITTORE DELLE CHIUSE ABBEY
SAN VITTORE DELLE CHIUSE ABBEY
Nearby the Frasassi Caves, is the San Vittore delle Chiuse Abbey, one of the most important Romanesque style churches in the Marche. A cult location immersed in nature, where architecture and the surrounding environment blend together in total harmony. It is a place where you can find a profound sense of peace and tranquility.
This abbey is nestled and protected within an “amphitheater” of mountains, hence its name (Rave di Clusis) that is "closed" between the mountains, and withholds a mystery yet to be uncovered. In fact, inside the church, placed near the left altarpiece is a carved symbol which stands alone, maybe an 8 or an upside-down infinity sign, that according to the most accredited hypothesis, was an esoteric trace left behind by the Templars.
The VALADIER Temple
The VALADIER Temple
Hidden away, yet highly photographed is the Valadier Temple. It sits at the end of a path of 700 m completely uphill, majestic and elegant in unique silence. The small Valadier Temple is an octagonal structure made in travertine and erected in 1828 by Papa Leone XII, a native of Genga, and designed by the famous architect Valadier. Building such a construction proved difficult, therefore special measures and construction procedures had to be adopted.
The best place to fully take in its beauty is from within the cave looking outward, while light shines in and enhances its beauty. Or, if you stop on one side and look out towards Gola di Frasassi, you will be able to witness fascinating glimpses that seem as though nature is embracing the temple and the cave, making this place extraordinarily special.
S. MARIA INFRA SAXA Hermitage
S. MARIA INFRA SAXA Hermitage
Adjacent to the temple is the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Frasassi nestled in the rock of a cave, with the rock even making up part of its internal structure and floor. It was initially constructed as an oratory, however the hermitage soon became a cloistered monastery. Enter in silence and admire what an extremely emotive experience this tiny jewel has to offer.
It’s wonderful to let yourself be transported by the suggestiveness of a place, from the sounds of nature and by profound contemplation, where magnificent man-made works fuse together with the wonders of nature in perfect harmony. And if by chance you visit this location during the Christmas time, you can experience the suggestive living Nativity, which takes place here during the holidays.