The tourist map of the “Walking in Valnerina”, available for free at the Tourist Information Offices Cascia and Norcia, offers a fully accessible trail to a place of exceptional natural and cultural, the famous brands of Norcia.

It starts from the center of Norcia; the path is loop, long 2,7 km and easy to follow, with a gradient of 40 meters. The Marcite, If almost unique in south-central Apennines, irrigated lawns are perpetually under subterranean hydrological phenomena, or an aquifer that rises to the surface in a myriad of streams. The peculiarity of this territory, where the water temperature is maintained around the outcropping 11 degrees, is the singular shade of green that nature offers, both in the cold season than in dry summer; for these special conditions, allow the rot to get up to a dozen close cutting of hay to the year.

`The origin of these fields marcitoi goes back to the fifth-sixth century AD. and is linked to the monks of the order of St. Benedict, according to the testimonies, have developed the first systems to create a network of canals and locks to harness the water and allow `` flooding of fields; This clever ploy is the oldest example of intensive cultivation.

The walk lasts about two hours if done on foot, but it is easily passable by bike; is part of the beautiful church of Our Lady of Cascia, votive building of the fifteenth century and after about a hundred meters through fields still cultivated “to marcite”, among which the “cortinelle”, carpets of meadow wide by 4 to 12 m long and up to 100, separated by “canals” and delimited by paratoi wood driven into the ground; Further on there is the Center for Environmental Education, dettaglita with photos and captions that tell the story of these meadows.

After crossing the bridges on Sordo River we arrive at water mill “Cecconi”, recently restaurato; within it `s still working a millstone and a` permanent exhibition depicting the history of mills and millers. As you walk you are faced with many mills, which 4 perfectly restored; these mills, placed along the most abundant classes of water, allowed farmers to grind corn and wheat, but fell into disuse in the second half of the twentieth century following the construction of a modern roller mill near Serravalle.

The tour ends in the Marche Roman Gate, going up a road lined by towering willows, reed, poplars and cypresses.

Images from the corporate website www.regioneumbria.it Photo: Michael Tortoioli