Lungo la valle del Giovenzano

The route winds along the Giovenzano Valley, a left tributary of the Aniene River near Vicovaro-Mandela, and the Via Empolitana, which runs from the Passo della Fortuna, the pass connecting to the Empiglione Valley, toward Subiaco, skirting the southern edge of the Ruffi Mountains. It connects significant sites in the area, intertwined with history, culture, sacredness, and, last but not least, nature; all distinctive elements that contribute to defining the landscape and, as such, shape its aesthetic identity. The symbolic endpoints of the route are two key sites of Benedictine monasticism in the Aniene Valley: the Convent of Saints Cosma and Damiano and, on the southern side of the Prenestini Hills, the Marian Sanctuary of Mentorella. Along the route is the Passo della Fortuna, the important pass between the Empiglione and Giovenzano valleys, bordered by the western slope of the Ciciliano hill and the northern head of the Prenestini mountains. Since prehistoric times, it has been a strategic hub for both mobility and local worship. Near the Passo della Fortuna is the archaeological site of Trebula Suffenas, just beyond the rural church and hospital of Santa Maria Maddalena. Along the Via Empolitana, which runs from the Passo della Fortuna toward Subiaco, following an ancient transhumance route, are the church of San Michele, on a hill just before Rocca Canterano, while on the opposite hill are the ruins of the church of Santa Maria del Brecciano.