We are in the north-western section of Lucretili Mountains, where the landscape is mainly characterized by gentle hills and constantly steep slopes characterized by the geometry of the olive groves suddenly interrupted in the east by a morphological discontinuity represented by such a sharp mountain folding that it has been called Mt. Serrapopolo. The itinerary has an intermediate difficulty level, a little orienteering effort will give us the opportunity to cross the three wooded small valleys interposing themselves and block the view of the constant climbing path along the ridge Mt. Percalli-Mt. Serrapopolo. Maintaining this route, you will avoid hitches due to the presence of tracks open to unbroken cattle. What you will immediately notice is the prospect of the ridge you will appreciate going beyond S.Nicola Monastery; the direction with the axis of the Apennines and the perception of the tectonic system of Lucretili Mountains is clearly evident here. As a matter of fact, exactly at the edge between two of the four structural units of Sabina fold, unit 3 formed by the slip surface stream Licenza-Mt. degli Elci- Mt. Tancia (summit of western Sabini mountains) and unit 4, Olevano-Antrodoco line particularly important because it marks the series of the slip surfaces of the Sabine units on the ones belonging to the domain of Lazio and Abruzzi, that is in the tectonic deformation and overlapping of the marine deposits of the Upper Lias and Lower Lias. The calm landscape of the gentle hills at the foot of the ridge consists of Pliocene sedimentary formations of marine environment, while at the base of the slopes there are the detritus deposits originating from the erosive processes interesting the mountain groups.
The vegetational features are particularly interesting and are worth a mention. The itinerary crosses the environments of the calcareous cliffs facing Sabini slopes, housing rock-dwelling formations dominated by ilex trees. It enters then the inland slopes up to the highest altitudes, where you can observed the mixed wood dominated by hornbeams and downy oaks gradually giving way to beech tree woods with mountain maple, Italian maple, and Turkey oak, and finally to Turkey oak formations. The history of these places is marked by the presence of the Capuchin Monastery of San Nicola, a beautiful example of religious architecture clinging to a calcareous cliff. Unfortunately, the building is now in decay, and it is not recommended to visit it. An extremely lonesome place, Mt. Serrapopolo can offer direct meetings with the wildlife living in these mountains.
