Palazzo Borghese and Laghetto: How to Get There and Trails
The laghetto (small lake) of Palazzo Borghese is a short-lived body of water in the Sibillini National Park in the Sibillini Mountains, set in a karst-glacial basin at the foot of the rock face of Sasso di Palazzo Borghese. It forms as the snow melts and by mid-June it is often already dry. Its waters are home to the Sibyl's fairy shrimp (chirocefalo della Sibilla), a small crustacean related to the one in Lago di Pilato. Above the basin rises Monte Palazzo Borghese, 2,145 m, which can only be reached on foot.
Before you go
Rules and orders: Park website. Snow and avalanches: Meteomont bulletin.
Where Palazzo Borghese and the Laghetto Are
Palazzo Borghese is in the heart of the Sibillini massif, in the Marche. The nearest village on the Umbrian side is Castelluccio di Norcia, while beyond the Passo di Sasso Borghese (2,057 m) the land drops on the Adriatic side toward Foce di Montemonaco and the springs of the Aso. From the pass, the two summits, of 2,119 and 2,145 m, are reached in a few minutes. The ridge continues toward Monte Porche and Monte Argentella.
How to Get to Palazzo Borghese and the Laghetto
For Foce, drive up from Montemonaco and at the locality of Pignotti turn toward Foce, which is 5 km away. For Monte Prata, leave the car in the large parking lot of the ski area, reached on a paved road from Forca di Gualdo. From Castelsantangelo sul Nera, provincial road 136 climbs toward Castelluccio as far as the Church of Madonna della Cona; a little farther on, a dirt road leads to the Fonte di San Lorenzo spring, at about 1,400 m, where there is parking.
Palazzo Borghese and Laghetto Trails and Hikes
From Foce, a loop climbs the Fosso Zappacenere (trail 154) to the laghetto: about 10 km, 870 m of elevation gain, altitudes from 920 to 1,818 m, about 5 hours, difficulty E. It has very steep sections and signage is sometimes missing; it is not suitable for children.
From Monte Prata, just over 400 m of elevation gain is enough to reach the pass between Monte Porche and Palazzo Borghese. From Fonte San Lorenzo, a loop of about 12 km, with 892 m of elevation gain and about 5 hours not counting stops, takes in the Passo di Sasso Borghese, the summits and Monte Argentella.
The Park route E17, from Castelluccio to Foce via Palazzo Borghese, is graded EE. Dogs are allowed only from Castelluccio as far as Capanna Ghezzi, and trail 154 from Foce cannot be walked with dogs. The climb to the Sasso has exposed sections, not recommended for anyone who suffers from vertigo.
When to Go to Palazzo Borghese and the Laghetto
The laghetto is at its fullest in May. Hikes are done when there is no snow or ice: from April to November for the loop from Foce, from June to November from Monte Prata. To avoid trampling the fairy shrimp eggs, laid on the bottom, it is best not to go near the shores.
What to See Near Palazzo Borghese and the Laghetto
The Laghetto di Palazzo Borghese in Montemonaco, in the municipality of Montemonaco, has a page of its own, with the shortest ascent from Foce along the Canale. From the Sasso di Palazzo Borghese there is a sheer view down into the basin of the laghetto. The fault activated by the 2016 earthquake runs along the west side of the mountain, clearly visible above the San Lorenzo basin. Between Palazzo Borghese and Monte Argentella, a saddle holds a rock known as "il cammello" (the camel) or "la pecora" (the sheep). Other peaks in the area are on the page Peaks of the Sibillini Mountains.