L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano O v e r t h e p a s t d e c a d e , I t a l y has witnessed a r e m a r k a b l e r e v i v a l o f i t s historic walking routes. Once associated primarily w i t h p i l g r i m s f o l l o w i n g ancient religious itineraries, a s i n t h e c a s e o f t h e V i a Francigena or the Way of St. Francis, the country's growing network of cammi- ni now includes dozens of routes developed around his- tory, landscape, and local c u l t u r e : s o m e f o l l o w medieval pilgrimage roads, others retrace Roman routes, trade paths, or monastic net- works. Increasingly, howev- er, new itineraries are being created to help visitors dis- cover lesser-known regions of the country where history a n d l a n d s c a p e a r e d e e p l y connected. In this new generation of itineraries, we can count the Cammino del Cavaliere, which was officially inaugu- rated in 2022. The perspec- tive it offers on the idea itself of cammino is quite different from most of its famous rela- tives because, rather than c e n t e r i n g o n a s a i n t , a shrine, or a single historical event, it is rooted in a territo- r y : t h e P i a n a d e l C a v a - liere, a historic borderland between Abruzzo and Lazio. The route forms a circular i t i n e r a r y t h a t b e g i n s a n d e n d s i n C a r s o l i , i n t h e p r o v i n c e o f L ' A q u i l a . D e p e n d i n g o n t h e s o u r c e consulted and the variations chosen by walkers, the trail covers roughly 40 to 45 miles and is generally completed in three to five days. Along the way, it crosses parts of three provinces (L'Aquila, Rome, a n d R i e t i ) a n d p a s s e s through an area filled with f o r e s t s , l i m e s t o n e m o u n - tains, historic settlements, and wide views across the central Apennines. For travelers arriving from a b r o a d , o n e o f t h e m o s t a p p e a l i n g a s p e c t s o f t h e Cammino del Cavaliere is its a c c e s s i b i l i t y : C a r s o l i l i e s r o u g h l y 4 0 m i l e s e a s t o f Rome and can be reached by train, making the route very e a s y t o r e a c h d e s p i t e t h e rural character of the land- scape. Within a short dis- tance, the urban environ- ment gives way to mountain scenery and to a rhythm of life that feels very different f r o m t h a t o f s o m e o f t h e country's more touristic des- tinations. T h e n a m e o f t h e r o u t e comes from the Piana del C a v a l i e r e i t s e l f , a n a r e a known for its strategic posi- tion since Roman times, with historical sources not- ing that travelers and couri- ers passed through these val- leys long before the modern e r a , u s i n g r o u t e s l i n k i n g Rome with the interior of Abruzzo. Some accounts link the area's name to the horse- men and messengers who crossed the region, stopping to change horses before con- t i n u i n g t h e i r j o u r n e y s through the mountains. This role as a place of passage remains visible throughout the route, as the landscape h e r e h a s b e e n s h a p e d b y movement between borders and historical connections, the vestiges of which are still w e l l v i s i b l e i n t h e a r e a ' s medieval fortifications, rural s e t t l e m e n t s , a n d i n t h e traces of former frontiers. The route passes through a series of small communi- ties, often overlooked by vis- itors but all rich in history and beauty: Pereto, Rocca di Botte, Pietrasecca, Collalto Sabino, Tufo, Villaromana, and Poggio Cinolfo all pre- serve a built environment t h a t r e f l e c t s c e n t u r i e s o f mountain life and traces of their historical past. Tradi- t i o n a l s t o n e h o u s e s , medieval towers, and small churches appear throughout the itinerary, offering trav- ellers a precious insight into the true rural world of cen- tral Italy. A n o t h e r r e c u r r i n g e l e - ment of the Cammino is its castles, as the route con- nects several fortified sites built in times when control- ling mountain passes and strategic routes was essential both commercially and mili- tarily. Their presence is, of course, also a clear sign of the area's long history as a border zone. Interestingly, the Cammi- no del Cavaliere also wit- n e s s e d s o m e o f t h e m o s t complex chapters of nine- teenth-century Italian histo- ry. If you are familiar with Risorgimento history, y o u m a y k n o w t h a t t h e Piana del Cavaliere and the n e i g h b o r i n g a r e a s o f t h e M a r s i c a w e r e a s s o c i a t e d w i t h e p i s o d e s o f b r i g - andage: following the cre- ation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, many parts of cen- tral and southern Italy expe- rienced social unrest, eco- n o m i c h a r d s h i p , a n d resistance movements com- monly grouped under the broad term brigantaggio, a n d m o u n t a i n o u s b o r d e r r e g i o n s s u c h a s t h i s o n e often provided ideal terrain f o r b r i g a n d s t o h i d e a n d commit their crimes. No wonder, then, that his- tory lovers find the Cammi- no del Cavaliere fascinating, but it's nice to know that n a t u r e e n t h u s i a s t s a r e b o u n d t o f e e l t h e s a m e , thanks to the presence along the itinerary of the Monti Carseolani, a mountain range known for its karst formations and biodiversity. One of the best-known nat- ural attractions in the area is the network of caves near Pietrasecca, known for its geological and speleological wealth. Equally beautiful, and perhaps less adventur- ous to explore, are the many s t r e t c h e s o f t h e i t i n e r a r y running through oak and b e e c h w o o d l a n d s , o p e n meadows, and panoramic r i d g e s t y p i c a l o f c e n t r a l Italy. While history and natural beauty are very important, we shouldn't forget how the Cammino del Cavaliere was also conceived as a way of drawing attention to smaller c o m m u n i t i e s , s e l d o m t o u c h e d b y t h e c o u n t r y ' s m a j o r t o u r i s m c i r c u i t s . Walking gives travelers the opportunity to experience these places differently and in a more intimate manner, through the rhythms of com- munication and travel dic- tated by nature and its dis- tances: you may stop where you wouldn't with the car, you may notice a building you wouldn't if you weren't on foot. In other words, you may experience your sur- roundings in a more mean- ingful way. This approach, as we mentioned at the very beginning, fits into a broader trend that, in recent years, h a s b e e n c h a n g i n g t h e tourism experience in the Belpaese: more and more people are seeking this type of more local, more intimate, slower experiences, which encouraged, along with the cammini movement, many v i s i t o r s t o e x p l o r e r u r a l a r e a s a n d l e s s e r - k n o w n r e g i o n s w h i l e s u p p o r t i n g local hospitality networks along the way. The Cammino del Cava- liere offers an opportunity to discover a beautiful corner of central Italy through the l a n d s c a p e s t h a t w e r e k e y background to its history: castles, forests, mountain villages, ancient routes, and traces of old frontiers all contribute to a journey that can truly lead to fully under- s t a n d i n g t h e p l a c e i n i t s entirety. In a moment when more and more people have been rediscovering the value of slow travel, the Cammino del Cavaliere could be the perfect place to enjoy a truly u n i q u e a n d e v e n m o r e relaxed version of more pop- ular routes. Discovering Italy through the Cammino del Cavaliere CHIARA D'ALESSIO ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES The Cammino del Cavaliere develops within an area rich in historical landmarks, like castles and fortresses, because of the strategic importance of the region during ancient and medieval times (Image generated using Adobe Illustrator AI) (Photo: Shutterstock); bottom right, Collalto Sabino, a medieval hilltop village in Lazio, is counted among Italy's most beautiful historic towns and is a key stop along the Cammino del Cavaliere (Photo: Paola Leone/Dreamstime)

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