San Vito – Pizzo – Vallesaggia – Santa Maria
From San Vito, the ascent is steep, but each step rewards with broader horizons. Breathing slows down, the air is fragrant with woods and stone.
At the Pizzo Belvedere, the view is an embrace: Acquasanta and its hamlets reveal themselves like a mosaic of roofs and hills, up to the peaks of Laga.
A few meters further, Vallesaggia appears like a broken dream, a silent village that tells of hands and voices now distant.
The descent towards Santa Maria intertwines traces of ancient paved roads and panoramas that invite you to stop, breathe, listen.
And when the path calms down, the warm waters of Lu Vurghe offer refreshment: a regenerating bath where the mountain meets tranquility.
Starting from the hamlet of San Vito di Acquasanta Terme, take the gravel road that climbs up the mountain. The first stretch is challenging – about one kilometer with a 250-meter elevation gain – but the view rewards every effort.
After the initial steep section, the path continues gently at altitude for two kilometers, with spectacular views of the Tronto valley.
A short 300-meter detour leads to the Pizzo Belvedere, an exceptional panoramic point from which you can overlook Acquasanta, Paggese, Pomaro, Cagnano and other hamlets, in a view that encompasses the entire territory.
Returning to the main path, you reach the ancient abandoned village of Vallesaggia, of which only a few ruins remain, immersed in silence. Here, the paths to Cocoscia, Meschia and Pretare converge, at a point of contact between the municipalities of Acquasanta, Roccafluvione, Montegallo and Arquata.
The descent towards Santa Maria develops in a serpentine pattern: in some sections, the gravel requires attention, but the landscape is of great charm. Just before the bridge, you encounter one of the rare examples of ancient paving still well preserved.
The excursion can conclude with a regenerating bath in the temperate springs of Lu Vurghe, before returning along the same route.
Max altitude: 632 m | Elevation gain: approx. 300 m | Length: 4 km | Difficulty: medium | Recommended period: all year round
Tips: there may be loose dogs, please be careful
📍 Info: info@mulattiere-acquasanta.com
📌 Municipality: Acquasanta Terme (AP) – Italy