Collepino di Spello: Fifty Inhabitants and a Hermitage of San Silvestro in the Subasio Woods

Spello is already, in itself, one of the least overexposed destinations in Umbria's art circuit. But those who know Collepino — the tiny hamlet clinging to the flank of Monte Subasio at 600 metres — know that true quiet is one step higher still, quite literally: a narrow road of seven and a half kilometres beyond Spello, through olive groves and downy-oak woods.

The village of fifty

Collepino counts about fifty permanent residents today. The village has medieval origins, developing around the thirteenth century as a defensive outpost against brigand raids, and is structurally linked to the Abbey of San Silvestro — founded according to tradition by Saint Romuald in 1025 as a hermitic settlement, at the origins of the Camaldolese order. The white limestone houses huddle against the medieval castle, which overlooks the Chiona valley floor.

The Roman Aqueduct Trail

The most fascinating route departing from Collepino is the Roman Aqueduct Trail: a path of about five kilometres that follows the course of the ancient aqueduct that brought water from Subasio to Spello in Roman times. The trail has been restored and is walkable year-round; it leads through holm-oak and downy-oak woods, with views over the Topino plain and, on clear days, all the way to the Marche Apennines. At the end of the trail you arrive in Spello, from where you can return by car or — for the fitter walkers — climb back up.

The Hermitage of San Silvestro

A short distance from the village, hidden in the woods, the Hermitage of San Silvestro is a place of extraordinary contemplation: limestone rock walls, a small chapel, the absolute silence of Monte Subasio. The Transfiguration hermitage, built in 1969 by the Little Sisters of Mary, offers hospitality for meditation retreats from May to September.

How to get there

Collepino is reachable from Spello by car in twenty minutes or on foot in about two hours on the trail. The village has no restaurants or permanent bars: it is best to bring a packed lunch and a good pair of hiking boots.