Discover Rancolfo

Rancolfo offers two concrete starting points for planning your trip: the history of the Church of Santa Maria and a described route climbing up to Col di Meo. If you are looking for a hotel in Rancolfo, you can first decide whether you would rather get to know the place through its ecclesiastical past or through the landscapes along a hiking route.

The church and its history

The Church of Santa Maria in Rancolfo was built in 1646. In 1671, it was affiliated with the parish of San Pietro in Vincolo. In 1755, the church became the parish of Santa Maria della Misericordia, which thereafter provided pastoral care independently. The sequence thus comprises three distinct steps: construction, affiliation with a parish, and later independent pastoral care. This helps place the church and local history in chronological order. The Chiesa di Santa Maria della Misericordia is located at Strada per Rancolfo 31 in Perugia. An account from 2016 describes a celebration of Saint Anthony the Great in Rancolfo, during which animals were blessed. This celebration adds a religious point of reference to the architectural and institutional history.

Hiking route to Col di Meo

A route description from 2016 leads from Rancolfo uphill through a wild valley towards Col di Meo. One section follows the Rio stream along the valley floor; Col di Meo is at an elevation of 617 metres, and the route offers views towards Tezio. The route also reaches Forcella, at an elevation of 630 metres. Forcella is therefore 13 metres higher than Col di Meo. Col di Meo marks the boundary between Gubbio and Perugia. The elevations and boundary reference locate the named points, while the valley floor and the Rio offer a different perspective on the route. Before setting out, check the current route and conditions on site.

Getting there and finding a hotel

The 2016 route description gives directions to Rancolfo via the E45: take the Resina exit towards Parlesca, then turn right after 3.4 kilometres to continue to Rancolfo. Use this sequence as a guide and check it against current information before driving, as road conditions and signage can change.

An interest in cultural history may focus on the church’s development and the celebration of Saint Anthony the Great; an interest in hiking may focus on the route and its landscape features. These topics address different questions: the church’s chronology places changes in time, while the route description locates the valley, stream, and elevation points in space.

Discover more destinations: Castello Delle Forme, Poreta, San Giovanni Di Baiano, Passaggio, Collestrada, Pieve, Scopoli, Armenzano

For the overview of the wider area: Perugia.