The Salinello Gorges are in the province of Teramo and within the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. The Salinello River flows through a large and breathtaking gorge. Fascinating remains of rock hermitages and caverns where the religion of St. Michael the Archangel was practiced may be found on either side.
Salinello Gorges
One of the best examples of erosion in the middle Apennines is the Salinello Gorges. The canyon‘s walls rise to a height of two hundred meters at its narrowest point. There are historic rock hermitages and caves on both sides where people once worshiped St. Michael the Archangel. The canyon starts close to the Ripe village, beneath the caves of Sant’Angelo and Solomon.
Rising from Mount Panaccio, the Salinello River passes through the municipalities of Bellante, Mosciano Sant’Angelo, and Civitella del Tronto in Abruzzo. The Salinello Nature Reserve is located along its first section. After the Caccamo waterfall, you’ll find the ruins of Santa Maria Scalena’s rock hermitage. Perched atop the tallest cliff, it offers a panoramic view of the Salinello Gorges. It’s simpler to go to the remnants of the San Francesco alle Scalelle hermitage.
The Salinello Gorges’ past
One of the most beautiful canyons in the Apennines is the Salinello Gorges. The site is quite stunning because of the height and verticality of the limestone rock faces, which seem to touch in certain spots, as well as the turbulent, chilly waters creating cascades.
Apart from the breathtaking scenery, there are an abundance of traces of human activity spanning from the Paleolithic era to the present. When a significant hermit movement formed in the local caves, the region became known as the Apennine “Thebaid”.
The S. Maria Scalena Hermitage
Through a 5-meter-long side cavern, the Hermitage of Santa Maria Scalena is accessible at 750 meters above sea level. There’s a little cistern to the right that continues to carry drainage water from the walls. A small room nearby features a barrel vault, complete with a trapdoor. Buried and walled inside, this tiny space is a hermit cell. The monks would retreat here during periods of fasting and seclusion. A weeping Madonna and the words “Sanda Maria Dei Gratia” adorn one wall. A simple granite altar in the middle of the cave includes remnants of a nearly unreadable fresco. There’s an opening with a view over the valley to the left.
After that, the cave transforms into a small tunnel, which extends several dozen meters through the mountain. Slabs are visible at the bottom. Scholarly speculation suggests that someone recently desecrated this burial tombstone in an attempt to find imaginary treasures. The presence of a portal suggests that Santa Maria Scalena’s hermitage had at least one fortified entrance, complete with a door. Archaeological digs have discovered human and animal bones, along with a small piece of 16th-century earthenware.
An Overview of S. Maria Scalena’s Hermitage History
The Hermitage of Santa Maria Scalena was established in 1741, but its exact origins remain unknown. Indeed, the parish inventory of Macchia del Sole includes it as a hermitage, along with those of San Lorenzo, San Marco, and San Francesco. Like the other rock hermitages in the Salinello Gorges, its exact period of foundation is unknown.
Due to the treacherous terrain and steep hills, the hike to the hermitage of S. Maria Scalena is difficult and only suitable for seasoned hikers. It takes approximately two hours to reach the destination.
San Francesco alle Scalelle Hermitage
TrekkEasy
Situated 680 meters above sea level, the Hermitage of St. Francis is easier to reach. There was a set of steps that hermits might use to get from the stream bed to the cave, hence the name “alle Scalelle” (little steps). Legend has it that St. Francis of Assisi stayed here after touring the city of Ascoli, drawn by the remoteness and spirituality of the location.
The hermitage first appeared in 1273 as a dependency of the S. Angelo Benedictine monastery in Volturino, a valley located in the Palombaro municipality in the province of Chieti. The cave still preserves some of the hermitage walls, the entry cistern, and some of the agricultural terracing.
St. Francis of Assisi’s legend
According to legend, St. Francis arrived close to the hermitage cave of San Francesco alle Scalelle after preaching at the neighboring Macchia da Sole. He retreated under a huge oak tree’s shade to pray. The fleas suddenly started tormenting him. While St. Francis concentrated on eliminating the fleas, he spotted the Devil on a nearby large boulder. The Devil sent fleas to disrupt his prayer, and he seemed content with himself for doing so.
When the saint aimed his staff toward the devil, a thunderbolt flew out of it, knocking the devil off the mountain. The “Rock of St. Francis,” still recognized today, bears the imprints of the saint’s hands and knees. On the other side of the mountain, you can still see the “Arch of St. Francis,” a sizable hole in the rock. People believe that the lightning struck the devil here, causing him to fall.
Caccamo Waterfall
The river’s waters, flowing out of the Salinello Gorges, form the stunning Caccamo Waterfall. The foaming waters create a large “pot of giants,” a big bathing hole that the water has excavated. This hollow is exactly what the local vernacular refers to as a “caccamo,” or pot of disproportionate size.
How to Reach the Salinello Gorges
The village of Ripe in the municipality of Civitella del Tronto is about a 30-minute walk from the Salinello Gorges. Alternatively, you can walk from Manfrino Castle through Macchia da Sole.
Manfrino Castel
By taking a detour and walking past the two hermitages, you can eventually arrive at the ruins of Castel Manfrino. This is a castle in the Valle Castellana municipality, next to the hamlet of Macchia da Sole, situated 963 meters above sea level.
An ancient Roman military outpost guarding Hannibal’s Pass, which led to the Campovalano plain, served as the foundation for the castle. The manor’s name comes from Manfredi of Swabia, the son of Emperor Frederick II, and dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries.
What happened in the castle?
During the thirteenth century, the castle was the focal point of protracted and brutal conflicts between the local lords fighting for control of it. Only a few portions of the castle, situated on a rocky ledge with a view of the valley below the cliff, remain today.
The only remaining portions of the castle are the tower, partially visible, and the entrance. The tower, which housed the castellan, served as both a place of safety in an emergency and a multi-story dwelling with no access to the base. There are also the remains of a little chapel inside the walls. A 1277 document indicates that there was a priest living in the castle.
How to Reach the Manfrino Castel
Through the S81 Piceno Aprutina Road, which links Teramo and Ascoli Piceno, you may reach Manfrino Castle. After that, you drive along Provincial Road 52 and follow the directions to Macchia da Sole, a hamlet. From this hamlet, a well-traveled path ascends the mountainside. You may walk to the castle’s ruins in about twenty minutes.
St. Angelo and Solomon’s Caves
Situated on the Salinello Gorges’ eastern flank, Flower Mountain rises to a height of 1814 meters and is home to the Caves of St. Angelo and Solomon. It is a group of karst caverns that are filled with numerous stalactites and stalagmites. Sant’Angelo’s Cave and Solomon’s Cave are the most well-known and extensively researched caves.
The Sant’Angelo Cave’s past
The dimensions of Sant’Angelo Cave are 10 meters broad by 30 meters deep, with certain areas reaching a height of 30 meters. Concezio Rosa, a scholar from Castelli, discovered the cave in the late 1800s. In the 1960s, a group from the University of Pisa and the archaeologist Antonio Mario Radmilli investigated the location. Within these caves, they discovered remains and proof of human habitation spanning a very long epoch, from the Upper Paleolithic (10,000 years B.C.) to the present day.
The results of archeology
A tribe of primitive hunters, believed to be remnants of the “Ripoli Culture,” provides the earliest known evidence. In other words, it refers to the Abruzzo-Marches Neolithic archaeological civilization, which was prevalent during the early part of the third millennia BC. The Neolithic village of Ripoli in the Teramo province is where it gets its name. Stone tools, including awls, scrapers, blades, and those linked to the existence of cave bears, ibex, and chamois, are among the items.
Archaeologists have also discovered pieces of pottery, particularly the well-known Ripoli pottery and terracotta. They display the standard geometric designs made up of dots and lines in shades of brown. The Middle Bronze Age yielded the most prolific findings, including many ceramic sherds from the renowned Apennine manufacture. Along with several holes used for earth fertility rites, the cave also has a few artifacts from the Roman and medieval periods. Among these medieval ruins are the Hermitage of St. Michael the Archangel’s wall constructions, which include the altar and stone staircase from 1236.
The hermitage
The hermitage phenomenon is associated with these archeological discoveries. Many hermits lived in the caves around the 13th century. Indeed, the Sant’Angelo cave still has the cells of the anchorites who lived there until the end of the 19th century. The cave also contains the remains of a young woman who underwent an inexplicable craniotomy. There were two fractures from blunt weapons in the skull cap, one of which proved deadly.
As early as the thirteenth century, the cave evolved into a sort of chapel. Thus, over the ages, it remained a site of worship, a destination of pilgrimage, and a place of seclusion. Additionally, there is a painting of Saint. Michael within. The Ripe di Civitella church currently showcases a remarkable statue that once existed. The altar of Archangel Michael from 1230 is also located inside.
Solomon’s Cave’s past
Solomon’s Cave is located beneath St. Angelo’s Cave. At first, they were related. But after the fifteenth century, a landslide prevented the two caverns from communicating with one another. One of the hermits’ small buildings vanished in the crash. Only parts of the wall, floor, and hearth are still present.
There are thirty other caverns nearby in addition to the ones of St. Angelo and Solomon. As Christianity expanded, a few of these caverns dedicated to saints became holy sites. As an illustration, consider the caves of St. Mark, St. Francis, St. Mary Magdalene, and lastly, St. Mary Scalena.
The Saint Michael the Archangel cult
The veneration of St. Michael the Archangel remains prevalent in central and southern Italy. The Salinello Gorges serve as a prime example of this. This religion is often associated with untamed environments, such as caves. The devotion of St. Michael the Archangel began during the Lombard occupation of Italy following the fall of the Roman Empire. The Lombards, who were once pagans, became Christians and made Archangel Michael their patron saint. It appeared to be a long-sworded warrior angel.
The chapel located in the renowned Monte Sant’Angelo cave on the Gargano quickly gained popularity as a pilgrimage destination. Thanks to transhuman shepherds, the worship of St. Michael the Archangel made its way from the Gargano to the central Apennine highlands. They introduced many Apulian cults, like the one of St. Nicholas of Bari, through their journeys.
Growth of the Cult
The worship of Saint Michael the Archangel most likely coexisted with other pagan cults, such as the popular Hercules cult in ancient pastoral societies. Hercules actually appears as an armed combatant.
Numerous caverns in the central Apennines were once home to the Saint Michael the Archangel cult. They frequently have saint paintings and statues. In some, there are even churches. This devotion is common in the southern Abruzzon mountains and several Majella massif caves. Since the Middle Ages, this cult has been ongoing, even in sizable and significant caverns like those found along the Salinello Gorges.
Dry stone makes up the cottages.
Apart from the caverns, there are other noteworthy structures in the Salinello Gorges area. These are the dry-stone buildings, which are among the most distinctive features of the Flowers Mountains. Only about eighty of these dry-stone buildings survive today, reduced to mere ruins. These structures demonstrate the emergence of spontaneous architecture as a response to the temporary housing needs of farmers and shepherds.
The abundance of limestone stones that emerged in the area allowed for the construction of the dry-stone cottages of the Salinello Gorges. Their design makes use of the false dome concept. They built the cottages using a plan consisting of concentric rings made of dry stones. As the cottages grew taller, their diameter decreased, culminating in a hole at the top.
Directions for reaching the Grotte di Sant’Angelo e Salomone
Here are the driving directions to the Grotte di Sant’Angelo e Salomone.
- Take the A24 Roma – Teramo motorway from Rome. Proceed on the SS 81 road toward Campovalano/Civitella del Tronto after taking the Teramo exit.
- Use the SS81 road from the city of Teramo, which is around 17 kilometers away from the caverns. Follow the road toward Campovalano/Civitella del Tronto until it intersects with Ripe, which is close to Rocca Ischiano. Continue on it for a short while until you come to a sizable plaza that is suitable for picnics and has parking.
- A tiny road goes from the Civitella hamlet of Ripe to the Grotta S. Angelo. Proceed down CAI path number 8, which is accessible to all, starting from the picnic area.
The visit to the Salomone and Sant’Angelo Caves provided useful information.
The Sant’Angelo and Salomone caves are free to visit. There are informative panels guiding the visitor along the way to the caves. The electric lamps attached to the supplied safety helmets simplify the latter process.
Salinello Gorges Gallery
Salinello Gorges video
Map of the Salinello Gorges
Civitella del Tronto Weather.
Meteo Civitella del Tronto
There are visitor centers near the Salinello Gorges.
- Macchia da Sole Information Point (TE) for Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park is open on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- The Civitella Del Tronto Visitor Center and Reception Desk can be found at the municipal building situated at 34 Corso Mazzini. Contact +39 0861/918221.
