Discover Monteluco

Monteluco is shaped by the Bosco Sacro and a long history of hermitage. Forest, hermitages and monastic sites offer different ways to experience the area; there are also named routes and activities to help you plan your trip. Whether you are most interested in the landscape, religious history or getting out and about, these themes give Monteluco its distinctive character.

Bosco Sacro: Forest and history

Monteluco lies 830 metres above sea level and is covered by the dense vegetation of the Bosco Sacro. The Bosco Sacro di Monteluco is designated a Site of Community Importance. The landscape can also be understood in its historical context: the sacred forest is considered a Roman sacred grove and was protected by the Lex Luci Spoletina. The natural setting and its long-standing religious significance thus stand side by side, and the area’s history is not limited to the later hermitages.

Hermitages and religious history

From the 6th century onwards, Monteluco became an important centre of hermitic life. Its origins are traced to the arrival of the Syrian anchorite Isaac of Syria in 528. Also in 528, Isaac built the Abbazia di San Giuliano; in the 6th century, it became a Benedictine monastery. These milestones provide a historical timeframe for Monteluco’s religious past: hermitic life developed early, while the abbey forms part of the area’s monastic history.

The Eremo di San Francesco is located in Monteluco at an altitude of 800 metres, near an ancient sacred forest and natural caves that hermits visited as early as the early Christian period. Seven small cells from the brothers’ former dormitory have been preserved in the hermitage. A central feature is the Pozzo di San Francesco. According to tradition, Francis had water dug for at the highest point there; water then began to gush from the well. This is explicitly a traditional account, adding a religious story to the surviving architectural evidence.

The Cappella di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, also known as the Porziuncola di Monteluco, is another very old hermitage. It is associated with the Syrian hermitic movement of the 6th century. The Eremo delle Grazie rose to prominence in the 16th century, when it was designated as a meeting place for hermits and as the residence of the prior of their congregation. The two sites thus represent different aspects of the history of hermitic life, from its early links with the Syrian movement to its later organisation.

Planning routes and activities

The summit of the sacred forest can be reached by car via the SP 462 road. Alternatively, the “la corta di Monteluco” trekking trail leads to the summit. Local conditions may affect the drive, so check road conditions in advance. You should also check the conditions on the trail locally before setting out.

Monteluco is also on Stage 10 of the Way of St. Francis from Rome to Assisi. This stage is 17 kilometres long. If you plan to walk it, check the current waymarking before your hike. The stage distance offers a different point of reference from the two ways of reaching the summit mentioned above: it places Monteluco on a longer route, while the SP 462 and “la corta di Monteluco” are specific ways to access the summit.

Mountain biking, trekking and horse riding are all options in Monteluco. Conditions for each activity and the availability of providers may change, so check the latest information before making plans. Outdoor activities can also complement a visit to the historic sites.

Exhibition at the visitor centre

The Centro visita Monteluco presents an exhibition on anthropological, historical, religious, geological, botanical and zoological aspects of the Bosco Sacro. It brings together the area’s different themes in one exhibition. If you plan to visit, check current visitor access in advance.

Discover more destinations: Preci, San Martino In Campo, Torgiano, Solomeo, Saragano, Bastardo, Camporeggiano, Cerbara.

Go to the main travel overview: Perugia.