Monte degli Elci Colle di Mezzo

Colle di Mezzo and Monte degli Elci, are the entrance buttresses to the Sabine mountains to the south of the chain. Pleasant and very panoramic walk. The first and last parts include dense scrub; the high parts are sunny and exposed to the winds. Not recommended in midsummer. The other seasons lend themselves to truly pleasant excursions. Along the route you can find a beautiful fountain with a picnic area.

Recommended clothing: sturdy boots and trousers, windbreakers (possibly clothing suitable for rain).

At the summit the exposure to the winds is considerable, therefore clothing suitable for temperature changes is recommended (in onions, so to speak)

By car, coming from the Abbey of Farfa, just before entering the town of Toffia, turn right and take Via Montagna; be careful, the road is partly asphalted and partly unpaved. You travel about 2.5 km. After the short asphalted stretch, continue, still by car, on a dirt road, until you reach a sort of hairpin bend on the left, near which you can park (495 m above sea level)

Continuing on foot, follow the road, once you reach a barrier (always open) continue on the steep stretch. Continue along the steep stretch on the left and continue for a short flat stretch, a few hundred meters. After having traveled a part uphill, near some signs, turn right, a dirt track, often muddy, and walk for about 15 minutes. Continue the walk by entering a wooded area halfway up the hill, first on the track then on the marked path. You arrive after about 45 minutes of walking, on a grassy saddle, from which you can admire the beautiful views of the Tiber Valley, Rome and the Lucretili Mountains, etc. From the saddle you continue walking along a grassy ridge, covered with limestone reliefs. We are on the top of Colle di Mezzo, with a 360-degree panorama (about an hour’s walk).

You can see a large grassy saddle between the two mountains and you descend, going around the top of Monte degli Elci, so called for the thick scrub of Lecci, elci ancient definition. Returning to the lower part of the saddle you can see an obvious path on the right of the crest, which leads to the track visible from above. Once you reach the track you go left. You arrive at a large area equipped with a fountain. Continuing along the track, after a few dozen meters, you can see the outward route.

We recommend a walk inside the characteristic village of Toffia.

(Thanks to Alberto Casazza who with his precious book of Sabine itineraries contributed to the creation of this route)