14 - USSITA VALLEY ROUTE Distance: km 16 Total climb: m 626 Difficulty: easy Time advised: half a day Prevalent types of interest on route: landscaping

This route starts at Fluminata, one of the hamlets comprising Ussita, and proceeds around the furrow excavated by the Ussita torrent which rushes down from the Panico valley, of glacial origin, dominated by the steep rock faces of Mount Bove. Fluminata is home to the town hall, one of whose chambers is dedicated to the Ussita-born Cardinal Pietro Gasparri (1871 – 1934), the Vatican City’s Secretary of State and author of the Conciliation between the Italian State and the Vatican City. The intermediate seasons offer the best conditions for tackling this route. In the spring the peaks are still covered with snow and capable of feeding the temporary streams that flow down through the steep channels forming thunderous waterfalls in places. The meadows around the Panico springs (1346 m) are coloured during this period with flowers such as crocuses, stars of Bethlehem, squills, and orchids. The autumn, on the other hand, offers days of crystal-clear air and the flaming red and yellow shades of the maples and mountain ash trees. The area is home to the golden eagle.