Pian De' Valli at Terminillo: Cross-Country Skiing, Cable Car and Churches

When planning your trip to Pian De' Valli, route options and cultural sites offer two different focuses. The cable car, cross-country ski trails and astronomy nature trail vary in activity and length; chapels and the Tempio di San Francesco add historical highlights.

Cable Car, Cross-Country Skiing and Nature Trail

The Funivia Pian de' Valli–Terminilluccio cable car is 761 m long and runs from an altitude of 1,630 m to 1,868 m. Piazzale Tre Faggi in Pian de’ Valli is one of three access points to the Terminillo cross-country ski slopes.

A cross-country ski trail runs about 3 km from the town center through beech stands to the Cinque Confini plateau; trail grooming and snow conditions depend on the season. Take these conditions into account when choosing your travel dates. The Cinque Confini cross-country ski circuit is 3,300 m long; lighting and artificial snowmaking cover 2.5 km. As both are seasonal operating details, check current operations before making your plans.

The Sentiero Planetario del Monte Terminillo is a 7.7 km nature trail focused on astronomy. It connects Piazzale dei tre Faggi in Pian de’ Valli with the CAI Rifugio “Angelo Sebastiani.” Comparing the lengths, the approximately 3 km cross-country ski trail, the 3,300 m circuit and the 7.7 km nature trail offer different types of routes: cross-country skiing and an astronomy nature trail in different formats.

A route description from 2021 also mentions the “Pian de' Valli–Campeggio–Acquevalli” mountain bike route. The route described there follows the Sentiero delle Fonti and Fonte Acquevalli on its way back to Pian de Valli. Check current trail conditions before riding.

Chapels, Temples and Historical Connections

The Chiesetta del Terminillo is dedicated to the Alpini who fell in East Africa. It was blessed and opened for worship on July 18, 1937.

The Tempio di San Francesco on Monte Terminillo lies at an altitude of 1,623 m. It was built in memory of Pope Pius XII’s declaration of June 18, 1939, which proclaimed Saint Francis of Assisi the patron saint of Italy. The temple was consecrated on August 22, 1964. A historical tourism description classifies the apse mosaic, created in 1975, as one of the world’s largest modern mosaics depicting a single subject.

The Chiesetta and the Tempio also differ in what they commemorate: the chapel is dedicated to the fallen Alpini, while the temple commemorates the 1939 declaration. A high-altitude section of the Way of St. Francis leads to the votive temple of Pian de' Valli at Terminillo.

Discover more destinations: Cittareale, Poggio Nativo, Contigliano, Configni, Varco Sabino, Ornaro, Gavignano Sabino, Longone Sabino

For the broader travel overview: Rieti.