To the Eremo di S. Maria and the Romiti from the Passo del Muraglione

Skiing round the Apennine hermitages

A route with various points of interest –besides the two hermitages, the valley of the Torrente Acqua Cheta is very attractive and there are also the spectacular Acquacheta waterfalls.

The route does not begin precisely at the Passo del Muraglione; from the pass you have to descend towards Dicomano and Florence for about 1 km, until you come to a brown sign on the right indicating “Fiera dei Poggi”. Leave the car here, put on your skis and set out along the wide track that runs just beneath the ridge and cuts across the slopes of the Fiera dei Poggi to Colla dei Lastri. The route is quite clear; carry on along the main track, which keeps to an altitude of over 1000 metres, cutting across the slopes of Poggio Erbolini to Colla della Maestà (four kilometres). The saddle, which is grassy with a few bushy beeches, is crossed by the GEA path (the red and white signals are visible even in the snow). However, do not follow this but continue along the main route which now descends gradually along a secondary Apennine ridge. This soon brings you to Il Crocione, where the path for the hermitage of S. Maria goes off to the right. If the snow and temperature conditions are not ideal (remember that to reach the Romiti you need to cross a small river a number of times and this needs to be frozen), the itinerary can be completed by going to the hermitage of S. Maria, located in a visible position in the centre of an open field. Otherwise, continue along the main route which, after a final, virtually flat stretch, begins to descend quite steeply towards the Fosso dell'Acqua Cheta. When you get to the bottom of the valley, bend right, following the course of the stream but then crossing it almost immediately for the first time. The route then recrosses the stream and some of its tributaries a number of times and finally arrives at the open expanse of I Romiti, where the monastic complex is situated. From here it is not far to the waterfall of Acquacheta, a fabulous sight in winter. But the path leading to the falls can only be attempted on foot, so the snow must not be too steep. From I Romiti, return to the Muraglione the way you came.

Text and picture: Cinzia Pezzani & Sergio Grillo
Translation: Jeremy Carden