Discover Pascelupo: Castle, Trails and Eremo di San Girolamo

Pascelupo Between the Castle and Monte Cucco

Pascelupo is a fortified outpost built in the Middle Ages in the form of a walled castle with a circular layout. If you would like to combine history with outdoor activity, you will find two distinct options here: the medieval fortification and trails that start from or connect to Pascelupo. The castle represents the history of the village, while the trail connections lead to the Valle delle Prigioni, towards Pian di Rolla and through the forests on the eastern slope of the Monte Cucco massif.

Trails with Different Elevation Profiles

Trail 296 connects Pascelupo with the Valle delle Prigioni. It is 1 km long and has 20 m of ascent and 80 m of descent. The short route is therefore not flat: both ascent and descent are specified, with the descent being greater. When choosing between the trails, it is therefore not only the number of kilometres that matters, but also the different elevation profiles.

The CAI route IT 2.02 starts in Pascelupo and heads towards Pian di Rolla. It is 10.3 km long, has 570 m of ascent and takes 3 hours. At the same time, it descends to Pascelupo via trail 231. At 10.3 km, it is considerably longer than trail 296 and, with 570 m of ascent, also involves significantly more elevation gain.

Gorge and Forest along the Rio Freddo

The Forra di Rio Freddo is a gorge carved by the Rio Freddo stream into the northeastern slope of Monte Cucco. In this gorge, canyoning is also possible for non-experts when accompanied by professional guides. This gives you the opportunity not only to view this distinctive landform from a distance, but also to include a professionally guided activity in your travel plans.

Another route is the Anello di Pascelupo. It leads from Pascelupo into the forests on the eastern slope of the Monte Cucco massif, crosses the Rio Freddo and then climbs to the Eremo di San Girolamo. Anyone planning this route should therefore consider the forest section, the crossing of the Rio Freddo and the subsequent climb to the Eremo as a single itinerary.

Eremo di San Girolamo

The Eremo di San Girolamo is located near Pascelupo on the eastern slope of Monte Cucco. The foundations of the Eremo and its old chapel feature medieval architectural elements dating from the 11th century. For travellers interested in cultural history, the Eremo is therefore of interest both as a destination on the Anello di Pascelupo and because of its medieval architectural elements.

The Eremo di San Girolamo can be reached via the panoramic road that connects Scheggia with Sassoferrato and crosses the Corno Gorge along the way.

Discover Other Places

If you would like to explore other places in addition to Pascelupo, you can find San Brizio, San Leo Bastia, Norcia, Magione, Castel Del Piano, Paciano, Pompagnano and Cimbano here.

For the higher-level travel overview: Perugia.