Description:

The Monte Cucco Templar Trail is a “slow tourism” itinerary conceived and developed by Tra Montana – Appennine Guides, which connects Gubbio to the main sites in Monte Cucco Park linked to the historical presence of the Order of the Templars in seven stages. Born from a regional development project based on historical and documentary research, the Trail offers an experience that combines hiking, culture, and the discovery of the natural, historical, and religious heritage of the Umbrian-Marche Apennines. 

The route passes through historic villages, abbeys, hermitages, ancient trade routes, forests, and landscapes of great natural beauty, leading visitors to discover sites that preserve documented evidence or traditions linked to the Templars’ presence. The Trail thus offers a unique perspective on the region, weaving together monuments, landscape, spirituality, historical memory, and local traditions into a single narrative. 

In addition to promoting the historical and environmental heritage, the project helps preserve and pass on the intangible cultural heritage of Monte Cucco. The testimonies collected in the videos, oral traditions, place names, legends, the memory of rural life, the ancient transhumance routes, and the stories of local communities all serve as tools for interpreting the landscape and understanding its identity. In this way, the Trail transforms the territory into a space for storytelling, where nature and culture intertwine and the tangible heritage gains meaning through the stories and knowledge that accompany it. 

The videos accompanying this article document the various stages of the Trail, illustrating its main points of historical, natural, and cultural interest.  

Through images of the landscape, expert testimonies, and in-depth analyses dedicated to the Templar presence — as well as to traditions, places of spirituality, ancient trade routes, and the collective memory of local communities — they demonstrate how the Trail represents not only a hiking route, but also a tool for enhancing both tangible and intangible cultural heritage and for promoting sustainable tourism grounded in knowledge, memory, and the identity of the territory.  

The contribution is further enriched by a documentary produced by RAI’s GEO program, which provides additional insight into the historical, natural, and cultural value of the route and the territory it traverses.