Macchione

The accessible trail at Località Macchione is located on the northern slope of Mount Subasio, in an open and bright environment rich in natural features. The route, designed to be accessible also to wheelchair users, offers a stable and even surface, gentle gradients, and rest areas where visitors can take time to observe the landscape and the most characteristic geological and botanical elements.

The flora reflects the meeting between the sub-montane climate and the ancient pastoral activities. Along the trail, dry grasslands, inhabited by grasses and seasonal blooms, including species endemic to the Apennines, together with patches of beech woodland. In spring and early summer, wild orchids appear, together with thyme, savory, and other aromatic plants that perfume the air and attract butterflies and pollinating insects.

The rocky substrate consists of marine rocks formed more than 50 million years ago. Smooth surfaces, fractures, and small cavities tell the story of a long process of uplift and erosion, while the rock outcrops along the path allow visitors to observe up close the compact structure and fine texture typical of these rocks. In some sections, thin marly layers are also visible, being actual signs of ancient environmental changes.