Today’s walk started with a beautiful path high above a narrow valley. This was probably the original pathway to Roccaporena, the tiny village where Margherita Lotti, Santa Rita, was born in 1381.

The walls of the gorge were quite steep and I could hear the babbling water of a stream far below. High above was a watch tower.

An impressive sight approaching Roccaporena is a church located on top of a large rocky outcrop. Rita is said to have regularly gone up there to pray.

Roccaporena is a tiny village but it gets a large number of visitors who come to see the places associated with Saint Rita’s life.

Roccaporena was very busy with lots of coaches coming and going.
The lazzaretto or hostel was used to house the sick as well as pilgrims. Saint Rita helped here.
Detail from a fresco in the village church.

After a hot walk up an asphalt road, the remainder of todays walk was along a bush vehicle track.

Whilst most of the area is rocky forest, some farmland has been established over the centuries
It’s amazing how trees can grow with the roots gripping cracks in the rocks.

There were pleasant views out over the surrounding hills.

Early in the afternoon I reached my accommodation which is an ‘agriturismo’ or a farm that also provides accommodation.

It was here that an Etruscan tomb was unearthed when a farmer was removing a mound of earth. Inside was the world’s best preserved ancient chariot. It ended up in Paris where it was purchased by J. P. Morgan and sent to New York. Some in Italy believe it was exported illegally.

This Etruscan chariot dating from ca. 530BC was found at Colle Capitano in 1902. It’s now at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Dinner at my agriturismo ‘Colle di Capitano’ was wonderful. After numerous antipasto dishes we had strascinati pasta and tasty pigeon.