Goodbye to our wonderful hostess, Anna and her husband – more delightful people you could not wish to meet – and off on our saunter to Rosciolo. The weather as forecasted was damp and grey, but everyone was in good heart as we made a gradual one hour climb along the slopes of the twin peaks of two mountains,2.400 metres high – catching glimpses of the higher slopes through the mist and drizzle.
Summer cattle shelters and a steepish slope, through occasional rain.
At the summit, after two hours, we paused and after a break for refreshments we made our way to S. Maria in Valle Porclaneta, where Paulo had arranged for a guided tour.
This church which dates back nearly a thousand years was built on the site of a Roman Temple. A small community of Benedictine’s monks lived and were interred here. A sacred place, reflecting Byzantine, Islamic influences over the centuries, including a visit from passing Crusaders, who left their mark(s), literally.
A fascinating structure, with unique elements – and despite an earthquake that destroyed the monks’ graveyard – still standing proudly in its mountainous setting. The frescoes are a treasure in themselves.
The pulpit and carving above the entrance to the altar are irreplaceable.
As our tour ended the rain became heavier for a while as we continued towards our resting place for the night. A fond farewell to a wonderful place.
Thankfully the rain soon eased and before long we reached Rosciolo for coffee and small pizza – € 2.00!
Our accommodation was B & B La Residencia, in the old part of the village – twin rooms and WiFi at last. Lovely place. After a shower and a break, three of us took a self guided tour of this semi neglected place – a mixture of restoration and ruins, with beautiful archways thrown in. At one time over a thousand people lived here; now a hundred or so, but it still retains its charm, with small lanes and views of the mountains, captivating doorways and bijou restorations around the main square.
The yellow Torre above is for sale – I was very tempted.
As we were standing just across the square, a diminutive figure in traditional black dress came by,I wished her Buona Sera and she returned my greeting and stopped to talk .
It turned out that she was the church warden and asked us if we should like to see inside the imposing structure of La Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Gracie, dating from the 11 th century. This sprightly 90 year old the retraced her steps, unlocked the doors and switched on the lights for us to view the impressive frescoes dating back over five centuries.
After visiting two such memorable monuments we could have been forgiven for thinking we were on a pilgrimage rather than a Cammino. So, we repaired to the Bar de Torre. for a beer and some welcome olives. Quickly back to La Residencia for our evening briefing and then to Risorante Locanda dell Arco, for another delicious meal based on local ingredients.
A special Brigante menu followed by a digestif which some brigands found hard to digest! I loved it. Quickly back, past mysterious steps and doorways. It seemed like we had been away for far longer than four days and we have even more to look forward to.
ensuitepilgrim's Blog 
Leave a comment