Cantalice – Ventina, an enchanted walk through the Sabina Land

The walk starts from a beautiful village, Cantalice Alta (Superiore), then it cross over the San Felice all’Acqua church , the amazing  Monastery of  Foresta and ends a bit later on Ventina Lake.

Cantalice

Cantalice is an unspoiled village on a rock, in the middle of a valley. You will see a beautiful fountain with frescoes and a number of swaying towers and domes.

torri di Cantalicefontana con affreschi


 

 

 

 

After the little village, you’ll take the main road, it’s going down until the Monastery of Foresta, one of the 4 Francescan sanctuaries that are part of Valle Santa Reatina.

So nice to see Cantalice from below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I follow to going down, and landscapes are breath-taking.

Il Lago di Ventina in lontananza                                Ventina Lake

 

 

 

 

 

San Felice all’Acqua Sanctuary

At some point I come across the small sanctuary of San Felice all’Aqua. Legend told that San Felice, who lived in the 13th century, decided to build a spring of water in this quiet and place. No coincidence, the Rieti Province water catchment area is the largest in Europe!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

La Foresta

Before arriving at the Monastery, there is a small fountain and a really narrow path that rises slightly and lays a little river. 12 kilometers, excellent training!

The cloister is really wonderful. In front of the Sanctuary a modern majolica called Madonna of Uva. It tells a legend that Rieti’s population discovered the refuge of the Saint and a huge crowd came. After visiting Francesco,they didn’t despise to taste the grape of the priest’s vineyard, near the grape harvest.

L’uva chi la coglieva e chi la mangiava, chi la portava via, chi la calpestava, per cui il sacerdote fortemente si turbava, ripetendo: ‘per quest’anno la mia vigna è perduta

Regain my strenght, I  lead to the end of the promenade: Lake Ventina, 0.12 km² surface. Located in Colli sul Velino, it is famous and appreciated by fishermen, because in its waters there are picks, real perches and trouts.

 

Pubblicato da Riccardo Proietti

Master Degree in International Relationships, a great passion for geography and online communication. He writes about travels hoping to push up followers to try alternative lifestyles in the sign of soberness and happy decrease. Reporter, football player and in love with Art.