I piani di Castelluccio

I have always wanted to visit the high plateaus in the Apennine mountains of central Italy in late May and early June to witness the efflorescence of colour as the spring flowers burst into bloom. This year provided a wonderful opportunity to do just that. The tiny village of Castelluccio lies on a hill in the midst of these plains, at an altitude of 1452 m, some 28 kms north of Norcia, and at the centre of the Monti Sibillini National Park. Driving towards it from Visso to the North through the Province of Marche one first encounters the little Pian Perduto (literally, the lost plain). At a distance the flowers do not at first seem particularly impressive, but the closer one gets the more beautiful they appear, with multiple combinations of reds, blues, whites and yellows, as the images below hopefully illustrate:

Crossing the border into Umbria one winds up the hill towards Castelluccio and its numerous tourists bursting out of minibuses to sample the many pop-up food stalls. Driving onwards, it is possible to take the little tracks across the Pian Grande (Great Plain) beneath Monte Vettore, past the shepherds still pasturing their sheep, and into the numerous fields sown with a multiplicity of different crops and flowers.

It is an amazing sight, quite unlike anything that I have experienced before. Walking along the field edges the sweet scents of the flowers and the buzzing of countless insects reminds one of the significance and power of the natural world – the real world – something that will never fully be replaced by digital tech. It is so beautiful and so uplifting.

Looking more closely, though, it is also possible to see the white scar across the upper slopes of Monte Vettore (left image below), a reminder of the devastating forces of nature experienced in earthquakes. This is but one expression of the massive 2016 earthquakes that killed some 300 people and devastated nearby Norcia, largely destroying its monuments and churches (below right), especially the basilica of San Benedetto (patron saint of Europe). It will sadly be many years before these buildings are safely restored.

I very much hope that one day I will return to the restored churches of Norcia, and once again experience the wonder of i piani di Castelluccio.