Hermitage of San Leonardo al Volubrio in Montefortino

History of the Hermitage of San Leonardo al Volubrio

The first record of a church dates from the 12th century. In that deed Countess Drusiana donated her possessions to the monastery of Fonte Avellana, including the church of San Leonardo al Golubro. Camaldolese monks later lived there, and the site was frequented by pilgrims traveling the mountain route between the Adriatic and Rome. In 1571 the monks left, discouraged by the harshness of the place and by the snow. The building fell into decay and was used by shepherds as a stable and hayloft. In 1860, with the suppression of religious corporations, the property was sold at auction.

In 1965 padre Pietro (Armando Girio Lavini) climbed to the Volubrio and found only ruins overgrown with vegetation. On May 24, 1971 he began the reconstruction, which occupied him for more than forty years, until his death. Today the hermitage belongs to the monastery of Santa Vittoria in Matenano.

What to see at the Hermitage of San Leonardo al Volubrio

The church has a rectangular plan and a single nave. The entrance is on the side, under a portico of three pointed arches, and the bell tower is on the east side. The whole complex is surrounded by a massive dry-stone wall, perhaps the oldest surviving part of the monastery. The remains of the monks' cells can be made out in the vegetation; a little lower down are the round-arched fountains. In front of the church is a small meadow, and from the hermitage the view reaches the north face of Monte Sibilla.

Visiting the Hermitage of San Leonardo al Volubrio

The hermitage is reached on foot.

The route passes through the Gole dell'Infernaccio: in the beech wood a junction marks the climb to the right toward the hermitage. The gorge trail was reopened by ordinance no. 32 of July 17, 2026 of the Municipality of Montefortino, after work following the winter avalanches, as far as the second junction for the hermitage. The stretch of trail that continues from the second junction for the hermitage toward Arcofù and Capotenna remains closed, however. Mountain boots are needed and, by municipal ordinance, an approved helmet; when a weather alert is in force the trail is closed, and it is best to check for any new ordinances.

Where the Hermitage of San Leonardo al Volubrio is located

The hermitage is in the municipality of Montefortino (province of Fermo), in the locality of Rubbiano. It stands on the left bank of the upper Tenna valley, between Monte Sibilla and Monte Priora. From Montefortino, follow the signs for Rubbiano and Gole dell'Infernaccio. Beyond Rubbiano a dirt road leads to the Valleria parking lot, where the trail starts.

Around the Hermitage of San Leonardo al Volubrio

The trail crosses the Gole dell'Infernaccio, carved by the Tenna river, and passes beneath the small waterfalls called Pisciarelle. From the hermitage a CAI-marked trail continues toward the Cascata del Rio in Montefortino, also called the Cascata Nascosta (hidden waterfall). Padre Pietro served as a priest at the Santuario della Madonna dell'Ambro (Montefortino). Other places of worship in the area are on the page about sanctuaries and hermitages of the Sibillini.