Massa on the southwestern slope of Monte Nerone
Massa is a small hamlet of Cagli on the southwestern slope of Monte Nerone, at an altitude of 510 m.
Church and sandstone in the town centre
The parish church of Massa incorporates remnants of the old Abbey of San Pietro di Massa into its masonry; today, only the church remains of the former abbey. The church contains a 17th-century altarpiece depicting the “Madonna del Rosario e i Santi”.
Several restored sandstone houses also stand in the town centre. These restored sandstone houses include a tower dovecote house. There are also streets paved with sandstone. Sandstone can therefore be found both on the restored houses and in the paving of the town centre.
Paths to the mill and Abbadia
To access the ruins of the Mulino Bordone mill, plan for a downhill path from Massa. About 1.5 km before Massa, a turn-off to Abbadia leads from the road to the local cemetery. Abbadia is the church of the former Benedictine monastery of San Pietro di Massa, founded between the 9th and 10th centuries. The turn-off is therefore before Massa on the cemetery road, not in the town centre. The path to the mill and the turn-off to Abbadia are consequently not the same access route: one begins in Massa, while the other starts on the cemetery road before Massa.
Fiumicello Valley and stream bed
The Fiumicello Valley can be accessed via the road from Pianello di Cagli to Serravalle di Carda; the road runs along the hillside above the stream. The road and the stream bed are therefore not on the same level of the terrain. The water of the Fiumicello is shaded by black poplars, black alders, shrub willows, downy oaks and European hop-hornbeams. The stream bed consists of large stones and can be walked along as long as the dense vegetation allows. Two specific conditions must therefore be taken into account when walking in this section: the rocky ground and the dense vegetation. When walking along the Fiumicello stream bed, you move on foot over ground made up of large stones, not on the road on the hillside above the stream. The dense vegetation may limit continuous, unobstructed access to the Fiumicello stream bed in this section.
Truffle experience and cuisine in Località Massa
At Località Massa, Agriturismo La Cerca offers a bookable truffle experience. This includes a visit to the forest to search for truffles. With advance booking, the agriturismo also offers lunch featuring truffle and mushroom specialities. The truffle experience therefore takes place in the forest, while lunch is tied to the agriturismo and requires advance booking.
