Frassati Trail of Apulia
Roseto Valfortore, Biccari, Castelluccio Valmaggiore, Celle di San Vito, Faeto
- Length
- 41.3 kmLoop
- Climb
- 1,806 mDescent 1,811 m
- Altitude
- 452-1,147 mLowest and highest
- Indicative time
- about 15 hOn foot, breaks excluded
- Difficulty
- EHiking, physically very demanding
The trail
The Frassati Trail of Apulia circles Monte Cornacchia, at 1,151 metres the highest peak in Apulia, and crosses the land of Roseto Valfortore, Biccari, Castelluccio Valmaggiore, Celle di San Vito and Faeto. This loop starts in Roseto Valfortore and climbs to the summit, where there is a mountain hut and the view sweeps over Irpinia, the Gargano, the Maiella and the Tavoliere plain; it then drops to Lake Pescara and Biccari and returns to Roseto through Castelluccio Valmaggiore, Celle di San Vito and Faeto, down to the watermills on the Fortore.
Grasslands and mountain pastures alternate with conifer and broadleaf woods. Wolves, foxes, wild boar, badgers, porcupines and roe deer live here, along with many birds of prey. Between Castelluccio Valmaggiore and Celle di San Vito the trail crosses the Celone valley, with the remains of old watermills; between Celle di San Vito and Faeto it cuts through the Argaria wood.
The trail is dedicated to Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati of Turin (1901-1925), a member of the Italian Alpine Club: Apulia named it after him in 2011, on the proposal of the Foggia section of the CAI. It can be done on foot, by mountain bike or on horseback.
On the map
- The trail
- Places along the trail
Elevation profile
Altitudes calculated from the terrain model, not from the track file.
Along the trail
In the app you get an alert as you approach each place, even with the screen off and without signal.
- Osservatorio di Ecologia Appenninica "Il Lupo" di Roseto Valfortorekm 0.0 · Roseto Valfortore · 190 m from the trailAlert
- Monte Cornacchiakm 8.8 · Faeto · on the trailAlert
- Lago Pescarakm 10.8 · Biccari · 70 m from the trailAlert
- Torre Civica di Biccarikm 14.7 · Biccari · on the trailAlert
- Torre Civica di Castelluccio Valmaggiorekm 22.5 · Castelluccio Valmaggiore · on the trailAlert
- Chiesa di Santa Caterina di Celle San Vitokm 26.3 · Celle di San Vito · on the trailAlert
- Chiesa Madre del SS. Salvatore di Faetokm 29.1 · Faeto · on the trailAlert
- Mulini ad acqua di Roseto Valfortorekm 40.4 · Roseto Valfortore · on the trailAlert
Villages along the way
Before you set off
- Start and finish
- Roseto Valfortore
- Direction
- Best walked from Roseto Valfortore towards Monte Cornacchia and Biccari
- Surface
- Mixed, mostly dirt and natural ground, with tarmac stretches, woodland paths, farm tracks, fords and some rough passages
- Season
- May and June, September and October
- Water
- Fountains in the villages and a spring on the dirt roads between Biccari and Castelluccio Valmaggiore
- Phone signal
- Not checked along the whole route
You follow the trails at your own risk. It takes 15 to 18 hours of walking: it is best split into 2 or 3 stages. After Castelluccio Valmaggiore you ford the Celone stream, and before returning to Roseto Valfortore you cross the Fortore river: do not cross when the water is high. After Faeto a short stretch of path is in poor condition. In an emergency call 112.
