Parco del Monte Subasio: Itineraries: Mortari Trail

Mortari Trail

Trail Conditions: On foot

Departure: Monte Subasio
Duration: 4 hour/s
Difficulty Level: E - Hiking (level)
Length: 12.6 km

This trail starts in the Stazzi car park (1083 m. a. s. l.), on the edge of the great alp on top of Mount Subasio. Right at the back of the car park, you can see Colle San Rufino, one of the best preserved Umbrian "castellieri", or ancient fortresses; here, among various finds, archaeologists uncovered the well-known Mars of Mount Subasio. Walk uphill, leave the asphalted road after the first bend and go on along the woods for another 300 m. after a crossbar. Then take the uphill trail 61, on the right, that crosses a meadow, and go past a swallow-hole, whose presence proves the karstic nature of the ground; then walk on towards the top. Turn left before the end of the trail, i.e. before it joins the wide unsurfaced road which crosses the mountain top, until you reach Mortaro delle Trosce, and then, on trail 50, Mortaro Grande and Mortaiolo: these dolines were believed to be volcanic craters, even in recent times, whereas they are typical karstic features. The sink holes are the result of radial splits on the upper layers of the red slice that covers this area of Mount Subasio, due to the fold of the layers. Slightly acidulous rains then seeped through the cracks and started eroding the calcareous rocks, until they formed huge funnel-shaped holes; this process can be seen on every limy soil, mainly in the Carso area, after which all karstic features were named. Mortaro Grande is 300 m. wide and 60 m. deep. In past centuries, together with Mortaiolo, it was used as an ice-tank: the snow was tamped down inside the sink hole and then covered. Mortaro delle Trosce is almost wholly covered by woods and thus less observable. The hike goes on along trail 50 as far as Fonte Bregno, then to the right, along the woods, to Croce di Sasso Piano, from where you can enjoy a breathtaking view over the Umbrian Valley and part of Tiber's Valley, as well as an unusual view over Assisi. From here, the trail then leads to Vallonica refuge; take the unsurfaced road to get back to the starting point.