In the shadow of the Sasso di Pale: the Menotre and Pale waterfalls, a treasure chest of wonders

Length: 4 km

Duration: approximately 2 hours

Difference in altitude +354 m / -347 m

Altitude: max. 541 / min. 315

Difficulty: T

The itinerary starts from the car park located just beyond the town of Belfiore, in the municipality of Foligno. The route takes place entirely in the Altolina Park, one of the sites involved in the Rural Development Plan for Umbria 2014-2022 for the improvement of the landscape heritage and accessibility of rural territories. There are four routes in the park and we will follow two of them, which in some parts coincide with historic paths and/or stage routes that bear witness to how rich the area is in naturalistic, landscape, historical and cultural emergencies, all concentrated within a few kilometers.

From the parking lot we head left and begin to climb along a dirt road bordered by olive trees; at the first fork we keep left on what is at the same time the Via Lauretana, the fourth stage of the Sentiero degli Ulivi and the second stage of the Cammino Francescano della Marca.
The first deviation to the left will lead us to admire the last of the three jumps of the Menotre river (the low waterfall), which hides a small natural cave and which is known as the bride’s veil; back on the main path, clearly visible, we will come across two consecutive deviations that will lead respectively to the Intermediate waterfall and the High waterfall which, with their limestone rocks and travertines, complete the 200 meters of the river’s jump.
The dirt path ends at the foot of the village of Pale, which we will enter by skirting the Grotte dell’Abbadessa and walking along the narrow streets that wind through pink stone huts. This first section corresponds to the red route of the four identified within the Altolina Park and crosses what was the garden of the noble Elisei family, who settled in the centre of Pale with a palace since 1268. The garden became a showcase of botanical and zoological variety that was visited by illustrious figures such as Queen Casimira of Poland in 1699 and the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III in 1695.

It actually lapped the Grotte dell’Abbadessa, which today extend for 58 meters and were formed thanks to the action of the waters of the Menotre on karst rocks; the most famous chambers are the one of the Laghetto, almost perfectly circular, and the Chamber of the Columns on the Ground, which owes its name to its majestic columns and stalagmites, one of which resembles a proud rock lion. A little curiosity: the underground ecosystem of the caves might seem refractory to the development of life, yet in the caves not only does a type of lichen grow – completely white – but there are also curious crickets with long antennae that have adapted to survive even in the absence of light.

Once we reach the main square – surrounded by the walls of the Pale Castle and a settling tank of the Roman aqueduct – we continue along the Sentiero degli Ulivi in the direction of the paper mill located along the state road 77 of the Val di Chienti. It is thanks to the monastic presence – in particular the monks of the Abbey of Sassovivo – that the paper industry began, strengthened by the presence of the river and thirty years earlier than that of Fabriano. The combination was so successful that in 1850 there were 12 paper mills between Belfiore and Pale alone.

We go back towards the center of the village and, once we reach the settling tank, we turn right onto Via dell’Eremo, taking the orange route of the four thematic routes of the Altolina Park. We continue along the Pianello path which, remaining on the hillside, will take us to the steps that lead to the Eremo di Santa Maria Giacobbe, known since 1295 as one of the many therapeutic sanctuaries of the Foligno mountains. The sanctuary is nestled in the side of the rugged Sasso di Pale, also very popular with climbing enthusiasts who, right near the hermitage, test their skills.
Once we leave the Eremo, we go back along the steps and, at the crossroads, take the path on the right that will take us back to the cars.