Sentiero della Memoria (Trail 472): Route, Difficulty and Map

The Route of the Sentiero della Memoria

The trail starts from the monument to the fallen of the Resistance. The monument stands at the first bend of the paved road toward Ascoli, and the trail starts on the right. Near the monument there is an open area for parking.

After a first stretch alongside a house, the trail enters the pine forest and climbs to a plateau. From here, to the left, it reaches the summit of Monte Vena Rossa (948 m), with the crosses of the partisans killed in the last war. The route crosses a conifer forest. Along the way there are several historic caciare, stone buildings.

The route follows the one the partisans used from San Marco to San Giacomo in October 1943. On site there is material explaining the historical context. On October 5, 2025, the CAI of Ascoli Piceno, with the support of the provincial ANPI (the national partisans' association), organized a hike along the trail from the San Marco plateau to Monte delle Tre Croci.

Sentiero della Memoria Technical Data

• Trail: no. 472, CAI register code (REI) MAPP4720, managed by the CAI section of Ascoli Piceno.
• Start and finish: from the Monumento dei Caduti at Colle San Marco to Monte Vena Rossa, at the Tre Croci.
• Difficulty: E (hiking, CAI scale).
• Length: about 2.7 km. The route is not a loop.
• Elevation gain: about 255 m of ascent.
• Elevation: between about 703 and 959 m.

To reach Colle San Marco by car from Ascoli Piceno, take the road through Le Piagge. Alternatively, it can be reached from Campli and from state road 81. The best period is from April to October. It is advisable to check the weather before setting out, as the trail crosses wooded areas.

More ideas can be found on the page on hiking in the Sibillini Mountains.

Sentiero della Memoria Map

The map shows the route of trail no. 472, from the Monumento dei Caduti at Colle San Marco to Monte Vena Rossa. The trail does not form a loop. Those who want a circular route can choose longer itineraries from Colle San Marco. One example is an 8.5 km loop with about 400 m of positive elevation gain. It touches Monte Vena Rossa, the Grotta della Margherita and Monte Giammatura, then descends through the Bosco dell'Impero to the Pianoro di San Marco.

Points of Interest Along the Sentiero della Memoria

Monte Vena Rossa and the Tre Croci. Here three small iron crosses mark the spot where Serafino Cellini, Alessandro Panichi and Narciso Galiè fell. The cross commemorates their death, on October 3, 1943.

Grotta della Margherita. Retracing a short stretch back from the summit, the route descends to this hermitage carved into a large limestone cave, which was a refuge for brigands, shepherds and partisans.

The caciare. These are dry-stone huts, typical shepherds' buildings of the area. Along the trail they appear together with the symbolic places of the Resistance in the Ascoli area.

The Monumento dei Caduti. The trail starts here, and it is also the best place to understand the meaning of the route before climbing.