Holiday apartment in Marsia: Ponte Nativo, trails and Crispella

In Marsia, river landscapes, trails and historic churches come together. Particularly impressive is Ponte Nativo: the natural rock bridge lies above the Fluvione, which flows about 15 m below between two vertical sandstone walls. There are also routes, churches and a culinary tradition centered around Crispella.

Holiday apartment in Marsia between river landscapes and trails

MTB Route 1 forms a specific circular route through Marsia. It begins near the turnoff to Casacagnano in Marsia, crosses the Fluvione to Ponte Nativo and returns to the same starting point in Marsia.

In the Arena district, the MTB route leads to the Pignoloni watermill dating from 1629. In the immediate vicinity of Marsia, the route also follows the Fluvione to a waterfall about 10 m high.

Churches and art around Ponte Nativo

Above Ponte Nativo, a small church was built in the 17th century in honor of Madonna delle Grazie. Inside this church is an 18th-century painting depicting the Madonna with Saints Anthony, Stephen and Joseph.

The church of Santo Stefano di Marsia, together with the church of Pedara, belonged to the Farfensi Benedictines. Another route, “Alla scoperta di piccoli tesori Marsia,” begins with a visit to the church of Santo Stefano Protomartire in Marsia; it was formerly a monastery. The route “Anello Marsia – Vallicella – Monestino – Osoli – Vetoli” also begins at the church of Santo Stefano di Marsia.

Hiking in different formats

The 100 km “GABA” trail is divided into seven stages and passes through the municipalities of Ascoli Piceno, Venarotta, Comunanza, Roccafluvione, Montegallo and Acquasanta Terme. The seven stages divide the 100 kilometers and give the trail a clearly recognizable format for longer hikes.

The hike on the “Anello Marsia – Vallicella – Monestino – Osoli – Vetoli” route on Sunday, October 30, 2016, was approximately 10 km long, involved around 500 m of ascent, had a technical difficulty rating of E and lasted about 4.5 hours.

Crispella and truffles as culinary themes

Crispella is part of Marsia’s culinary tradition. The first edition of the “Sagra della Crispella” took place in 1976. Traditionally, Crispella was prepared by the “vergara” as sustenance during fieldwork.

The “Sagra della Crispella e delle Mezzemaniche al Tartufo” is associated with the penultimate weekend of August and includes tastings of typical truffle-based dishes. Specifically, it took place in the Marsia district from August 16 to 18, 2019; the focus was on high-quality black truffles and Crispella.

For more ideas of places to visit, you can also consider Il Palazzo, Montefiore Dell'aso, Folignano, Montelparo, Castel Di Lama, Acquaviva Picena, Comunanza and Cupra Marittima.

For the overview of the wider area: Ascoli Piceno.