The Hermitage of Montecorona and Mattonata

The itinerary will take us to the Hermitage of Montecorona situated on the mountain top at 700 m, it is one of the most evocative places in the northern area of Perugia. The hermitage, built in 1528 and that now hosts a cloistered religious community, is outside the suburbs of Perugia, as a matter of fact we will ride a good part of the itinerary on flat land on unpaved paths and that run alongside the Western side of the Tiber river. At a few km from the small city of Umbertide, you’ll come across the Abbey of Montecorona, situated in the valley with respect to the hermitage, which represents the beginning of our 7 km long climb with constant gradients which are never more than 15%. The several hairpin turns reveal some exits of the trail called La Mattonata representing our descent, that among the others is absolutely the most amusing path in the whole area of Perugia. Once we get to the top and enjoy the silence and the nature around the hermitage for a few minutes, we will enter the “mattonata”, a road made of sandstone blocks that often crossing the road we climbed will lead us again into the valley near the Abbey of Montecorona. From here you can go back along the same road made on the way in or deviate to the several paths along the road. An evocative deviation is the one leading to the hilltop where you’ll come across the historical hamlet of Castiglione Ugolino, or you can enter the side of the Monte Tezio to enjoy the Umbrian panorama.