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| This itinerary is about 100 kilometers
(65 miles) and takes about 8 hours. I understand perfectly that,
though the scooters are very comfortable, for someone who's not used
to spending a lot of time on a motorbike this could be too much. Or
simply one could just want to indulge longer in one place and skip
something. If I had to take two places out of this itinerary, I
guess they would be... I'll let you decide, I like them all!
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Leg |
Distance |
Time |
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Highlights of the day: Mentorella and Palestrina. |
Segni - Cave |
25 km (15 Miles) |
30 min. |
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Total range: 100 km (65 miles). |
Cave - San Vito |
12 km (7.5 Miles) |
20 min. |
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Total time: 8 hours. |
San Vito - Guadagnolo |
17 km (10.5 Miles) |
25 min. |
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Guadagnolo - Mentorella |
1.5 km (1 Mile) |
5 min. |
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Mentorella - San Pietro |
16 km (10 Miles) |
15 min. |
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San Pietro -
Palestrina |
1.5 km (1 Mile) |
5 min. |
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Palestrina - Valmontone |
10 km (6.5 Miles) |
20 min. |
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Valmontone - Segni |
16 km (10 Miles) |
15 min. |
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| We leave
Segni around 9:00 am,
or
earlier, heading for
Cave. Another little town founded around the year 1,000 B.C.. We will
just pass through Cave and start the climb to Rocca di Cave. You'll
really enjoy this ride. One hairpin after the other, the view will be
getting more and more spectacular. We'll climb from the elevation of
400 meters (1,200 ft) in Cave to the 1,200 meters (3,600 ft) in
Monte Guadagnolo. Once we arrive in Capranica, we can stop briefly
for some refreshments before heading for
San Vito Romano. The most important building in San Vito is the
Theodoli Castle, it dominates the town and the surroundings standing
standing against the skyline in an almost intimidating way. |
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The castle, I far as I know, cannot be visited at the moment, but
what really is incredible in San Vito is the steps! An unbelievable
number of steps! You arrive in town, one of the most
evocative in the area, park the scooter near the castle take some
pictures. Then you are attracted by the gate that introduces you
into the town proper and... you see the steps! Just as you
pass the gate, you are attracted by this
arched walkway, dark even when the sun shines bright. You walk to
it, look down from one the arches and you see them: the steps! You
have the impression you popped into one the
Dutch artist
M.
C. Escher's works: Relativity.
The place is so attractive that you immediately want to start
walking down, but remember, you'll have to climb back up! |
|
From San Vito, we retrace our steps to Capranica and climb to
Monte Guadagnolo and, at a certain point you'll have the amazing view
of the sanctuary "La Mentorella". Perched on a prominent
rock dominating the valley, the legend says the monastery was built
on the spot where
the Roman soldier Placido (who later he became
St. Eustace) saw the deer with the cross and Christ between his
horns and converted to Christianity. This is also where
St. Benedict spent two years as a hermit, living in a cave (which
we'll visit). Leaving the Mentorella, we'll move to the nearby
town of Guadagnolo, the highest town in Lazio, 1,200
meters (3,600 ft), where we could eventually have lunch in one of
the two
trattorias in town. |
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We will then go back down
from Monte Guadagnolo heading for Castel San Pietro, a very
picturesque little town where several famous Italian movies where
shot in the 60's starring Gina Lollobrigida.
After looking around Castel San Pietro we'll move to
the very near
Palestrina. This is an pretty important little town, it was
anciently called Praeneste. Founded around the 8th century B.C.,
it was in the ancient day famous for the temple of the
Fortuna Primigenia, its remains were revealed as a result of
American bombing of German positions in World War II, connected with
an
oracle. In the 16h century it became property of the famous
Barberini family which had in
Pope Urban VIII its most famous
member. |
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Palestrina is also the birthplace of the archeologist
Andrea Fulvio and of the prince of sacred music,
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. From Palestrina we will head
back to Segni, eventually stopping in Valmontone to break the trip.
Or, in case someone in the group feels like shopping, we could also
stop at the
"Fashion
District Outlet" in Valmontone. |
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| Here below is a map with the itinerary. |
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