Let’s start from Orchi (Conca della Campania)
Reached the small village of Orchi, a hamlet of Conca della Campania with an evocative name, we park there where we find a place and begin to cross the town in a south-westerly direction towards our final destination, the Sanctuary of the Lattani. In a short time you arrive at the end of the paved road and at the beginning of the actual path.
The first stretch is uphill but the path is wide and never impervious. In addition, the landscape is beautiful. You walk, in fact, along dense woods of well-kept and well-kept chestnut treesthat change appearance and colors with the passing of the seasons. Of an intense green in spring-summer, of various shades of almost red brown in autumn, naked and bare in winter.
Almost at the apex of the first stretch of climb, you arrive at a crossroads. As indicated by the C.A.I. signs,we keep to the left and continue our excursion. Now we even begin to descend, always gently, always immersed in the precious chestnut groves on which the local economy is based. Let us respect them and not go beyond the fences that delimit private property. If anything, we collect the chestnuts that we see on the path and observe the shapes that the ancient trees take along the way. Some are really suggestive, with wide gnarled roots and hollowed stems almost like the den of an elf or some other fantastic creature of the woods.
Almost at the end of the descent, we leave the amipo path for a narrower one turning left. In fact, we could also continue straight but in doing so we would then have to travel a longer asphalted stretch on the edge of the provincial road 14. We will meet, however, the SP14 a little further on but only to cross it.
We continue, therefore, on our path for another 500 meters, then turn right and here we are on the provincial road at the foot of Mount Lattani in the heart of the Roccamonfina – Foce Garigliano Regional Park.
Ascent to the Sanctuary of the Lattani
The ascent to the Sanctuary, 2.6 km, is constant but never particularly tiring. The path is always wide and well signposted. In addition, the stretch we are traveling has a peculiarity that will be evident to us on the way back. We are, in fact, climbing along the outer side of the boiler of the extinct volcano of Roccamonfina. Although inactive for over 50,000 years, it still produces positive effects on the fertility of the land and on the oligomineral characteristics of various water sources in the area, some of which are bottled and sold by important and well-known national brands.
Continuing the climb we do not forget to look around. Dry stone walls covered with moss, fern bushes and trees with bizarre shapes enrich the panorama and accompany us towards the goal. The last surprise before reaching the Sanctuary awaits us right at the end of the dirt path. Strange engravings in the rock and in the pavement,perhaps dating back to the period of the Second World War, welcome us just before returning to the paved road, now in view of the Sanctuary of the Lattani.
It’s time for a panoramic stop
We have almost reached the summit where we will make a nice and well-deserved stop for lunch. However, we do not miss the opportunity for a brief visit to the Sanctuary of the Lattani. To welcome us, just outside the entrance door to the courtyard, we find a tree splendidly engraved with the effigy of the Madonna. We then cross the door and visit the fifteenth-century church, the cloister and the cave. If we are lucky, we can also find some stalls where we can buy local food products.
Finally, after the visit, we resume the climb towards the panoramic area where you can refresh yourself and admire the view of the valley below and the town of Roccamonfina. The open space, equipped with a couple of tables, is just above the Sanctuary, beyond the terrace of the old restaurant now in ruins, near a repeater and right next to a statue also dedicated to the Madonna. Let’s rest and admire the view from the ridge of the caldara in which we will enter shortly.
We cross the caldara of the Roccamonfina Volcano
Rest and refresh yourself it’s time to take the road back, just longer than the outward journey. We pass, therefore, the Sanctuary and, passing the path from which we came, we continue on the paved road to the hamlet Gallo. Two turns right, always on the asphalt, and we continue until we meet a fenced picnic area. Here the road forks. We once again keep to the right and continue on the poorly put asphalt road that gives more and more space to the dirt road.
The boiler is now clearly visible around us. And, around us, the inevitable chestnut groves have once again taken the place of the sparse houses met a little while ago. The show leaves you enchanted at any time of the year you decide to come. In addition, the path is wide and always slightly downhill. Just before leaving the cone of the volcano we find the asphalt of via Prato Longo and then again the SP14.
Let’s go back to Orchi
Two more kilometers separate us from the cars. After crossing the state road we enter another private picnic area and from there, slightly uphill, we resume the path of return parallel to the one made on the way out. The woods are always there to keep us company and on the left, in the distance, we can see the village of Conca della Campania. It is now a short time before the arrival when we reach the junction already met on the way out. Then we turned left. Now we come from the right. The climb is also over and the rest of the path, already traveled previously, is downhill. In the end we find the asphalt and the houses of Orchi, perhaps a little tired but with the inevitable enthusiasm that only a day in Nature can give.
