STAGE 7: Casale Le Crete – Sante Marie (20.9 km)

From Casale Le Crete, in the municipality of Tagliacozzo, begins thelast leg of the trek along the Cammino dei Briganti, which closes the loop and leads to reaching Sante Marie again, the starting point of the entire itinerary.

It starts by walking on scenic dirt roads to the village of San Donato. Here we climb, in a couple of kilometers, to an ancient castle of which only the ruins remain, abandoning the view to the colors and contours of the Imele Valley.

The route then continues downhill to Scanzano and continues to lose altitude slightly to Tubione and Sante Marie, a picturesque village of ancient origins, clothed in art and witness to the stories of brigandage, preserved in a dedicated museum.

Length: 21 km
Elevation gain: 560 m
Downhill elevation gain: 450 m
Highest point: 1171 m
Lowest point: 723
Type of surface: dirt road

Technical tips:
Although the itinerary is easily passable and equipped at the various stopping places, it lacks continuous signage, so it is important to follow the proposed gpx tracks.

Municipality of departure: Tagliacozzo
Place of departure: Casale Le Crete
Municipality of arrival: Sante Marie
Place of arrival: Sante Marie

Recommended period:
from April to October

Useful links:
https://camminodeibriganti.it/

The Brigand’s trail is a trekking route between Abruzzo and Lazio, in the setting of the Central Apennines, that traverses wild and unspoiled nature , tackling old mule tracks and taking in the atmosphere of medieval villages.

But it is also a border path: the border in the History of Italy, when the House of Savoy entered the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies on the way to unification; the geographical boundary between the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Papal States, where brigands moved from one side to the other on horseback, fighting newcomers; the blurred border between justice and injustice, between the underground chosen by those who could not afford the new taxes and the kidnappings and abuses, made and suffered.

The Brigand’s trail is a 100-kilometer loop trail, divided into 7 stages in this version on foot (but also passable by bicycle), in the footsteps of the Brigantes of the Band of Cartore. We are in the undomesticated wilderness of the Varri Valley, the Salto Valley and the slopes of Mount Velino, a wilderness that continually offers us wonderful views. Along the way we stay at an average altitude (between 800 and 1300 meters).

Credits: camminodeibriganti.it