"In the middle of Monte Cucco: Pascelupo paradise" Pascelupo by Trekki

My first encounter with this little hamlet amid Parco del Monte Cucco was during the truffle fair in Gubbio, October 2009. The responsibles for the park had a little booth there and were providing free information about the park. Among this was a booklet with information and detailed description and maps of 11 hikes on 56 pages. One of the hikes was through Valle delle Prigioni, starting from Pascelupo. I liked the name of village and valley and the photos of both had such an intense influence on me that I simply could not get them out of my thoughts: lush green hills valley landscape, hilltop hamlets and several churches and hermitages. In May 2011, during my little roundtrip through the Umbrian/Marche border parts I finally managed to drive through the eastern part of Monte Cucco Park and up to the hamlet of Pascelupo. I saw the hermitage nearby, another former abbey near the street and the landscape with my own eyes – green in all shades, as wide as I could see. It had such a calming and soothing atmosphere, so quiet, so almost heavenly, that I could not help to understand again why so many hermits have settled in the Apennine part of Umbria. Since then my desire to start serious hiking in almost untouched nature again grew and grew. Now that I write this (February 2012) I have done some intense research, together with the help of my dear Italian teacher Edvige. I gave up smoking conjuring the vivid pictures of this landscape in my mental image. I am counting the days.

Pascelupo and Valle delle Prigioni – here I come :-)

Look at the photos (and open the one below the first little map for a slide show) to see what I mean.