Have a desire for nature and history? At Mount Soratte you can satisfy both in one go!
The Mount Soratte Nature Reserve, with its 410 hectares, offers trails that are suitable for everyone, from children to the most trained hikers. The trails, in fact, are made up of various lengths and difficulties. And once you’ve exhausted your desire to walk surrounded by nature, you can immerse yourself in the Soratte Bunker tunnels, on a guided tour which – we are certain – will amaze you. Located just 50 km from Rome and a few km from the Ponzano Romano – Soratte motorway exit on the A1.
The Mount Soratte trails
The Vita (Life) Trail
From early morning to late afternoon, you can meet a wide range of people on the Vita Trail, the easiest in the Reserve: whether it be groups of pensioners who take a walk together, or those who take their dog for a walk. There are also those who run to train for the trail running competitions and those who use this path as a link to reach the trails that lead to the top of Mount Soratte and the San Silvestro Retreat, found at the very top of the mount. The trail winds through a thick wood, which makes it suitable for pleasant strolls even in the middle of summer.
The Casaccia dei Ladri (House of Thieves) Trail
There are several possibilities along the Vita Trail that allow to leave the trail and head towards other trails which all lead to the top of Mount Soratte. The difference in altitude is always, however, within everyone’s reach. It extends to a maximum of roughly 250 metres.
This path is so named because as you’re walking along it you come across a small ruin that local legend has it was the refuge of the brigands, who hid in the dense woods.
The Carboniae Trail or Carbonaie Educational Trail
The Carbonie trail is yet another detour that one comes across on the Vita trail. Along the path you will find the remains of a “carbonara”, evidence of how historically there used to be coal production sites in this area using wood cut in the reserve’s woods.
The Eremi (Retreats) Trail
The Mount Soratte Nature Reserve is dotted with numerous retreats, testifying to the presence in the past of priests and hermits belonging to various religious orders: the Camaldolesi, the Franciscans and the Cistercians inhabited the slopes of this mountain over the centuries.
Following the pedestrian road that winds from the village towards the top of Soratte, you can discover the retreats one by one, one step at a time. On the Eremi trail you will initially come across the Church of Santa Lucia, then the Eremo di Sant’Antonio retreat and the Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie sanctuary. The latter, in its current form, is the work of the Cistercians who in 1628 transformed it from a small hermitage into an actual sanctuary.
Once arrived at the Madonna delle Grazie sanctuary, another five minute walk separate us from the last retreat, that of San Silvestro, built right on the top of the Soratte mount. From here, the 360-degree panorama is simply “spatial”! The Eremo di San Silvestro retreat is not always open to the public, so we suggest you inquire first regarding its opening times, by contacting the Municipality of Sant’Oreste.
The legend of the Eremo di San Silvestro retreat on top of Mount Soratte
The retreat at the top of Soratte was the refuge of San Silvestro, who had arrived here following the persecutions of Christians during Emperor Constantine’s reign. The relevant period is around 300 AD.
Legend has it that, during a stormy night, San Silvestro saw an intense glow coming from the Sabina Mountains. Here, in another famous retreat in the area, that of San Michele, a dragon was hidden, a symbol of Paganism, which San Silvestro faced and defeated. The legend is nothing more than the representation of the victory of Christianity over Paganism and the glow that the Saint saw that night from the Retreat on Mount Soratte was nothing more than a divine sign.
