Bar Zocchi Massimo, Montemonaco

Bar Zocchi Massimo: location in Montemonaco

The bar is in the village of Montemonaco, the hill town on the eastern side of the Sibillini that overlooks the upper Aso valley.

Bar Zocchi Massimo: what to see nearby

The village has the church of San Benedetto Abate, of ancient origin but rebuilt in 1546, the date carved on the pointed stone doorway; it is built into the circuit of the walls and uses one of the towers as its bell tower. The apse of the old church of San Biagio is incorporated in its interior. It should be regarded above all as a historic building, struck like the rest of the village by the 2016 earthquake.

The best-known trail in the municipality starts from the hamlet of Foce: the one to Lago di Pilato, at 1,941 m on Monte Vettore. It is the only natural lake in the Marche, a small glacial basin that is home to the Chirocephalus marchesonii, an endemic crustacean, so swimming is forbidden and visitors must stay at least 5 m from the shore. The climb, which crosses the Gardosa valley and the steep hairpins of the «Svolte», takes about 2 and a half to 3 hours one way and is demanding for those who are not fit.