FROM CAMPORA TO MT. CERVIGLIANO

lenght: 7 km • walking time: 4 h • starting point: Via Inserrata, Campora

Hike through one of the richest areas of spring waters of the Lattari, winding along the most important reservoir of Agerola. Along the path you encounter beautiful panoramas as well as various springs, geological interest, ancient ruins, traces of industrial archeology, and a diversity of flora.

Path information

In front of the Sports Center (Campora) you will enter via Inserrata and follow it for about 600 m to a junction taking the right uphill. Passing the last homes, you pass near to a centuries old Chestnut tree. Arriving at the hamlet of Fiobana, you will notice towards the left of the valley below, the ruins of a small gun-powder storage building of the Bourbon period. Continuing the climb, you will arrive at the peaceful via Panoramica and continue left for about 100 m until you reach a small bridge over the River Penise. Without crossing it, turn to the right following the riverbed until you find a stony path along which, you will find small wells that collect water. Climbing up in front of it, you come across the Path CAI 301, that continues to the left. After about 250 m, you come to an intersection of mule tracks where you continue to the right at Path CAI 300, for about 1.5 Km, passing the Acqua del Gavido spring. Upon reaching a grassy clearing, you will leave the Path CAI 300 CAI, and turn to the left. You will shortly reach the edge of a cliff with panoramic views towards the north. Here you will turn left but it's more convenient to first descend to the right for a brief pause at the nearby Acqua del Vrecciaro spring, thus named for the scree (brecciaio) present therein. Once returned from the spring, stay to the right and proceed along a path which will bypass Mt. Cervigliano, touching the Acqual Fredda and San Giuliano springs, until finally returning to the mule track.

Here, turn to the right and follow the crest of Colle St. Angelo for about 1 Km. Once passed an exposed area (the Palombelle pass), we arrive at the ruins of St. Angelo a Jugo (see Path 7), where you turn left onto the ancient mule track and stone steps leading down to Gemini (path CAI 367), near the tunnel of the main road for Gragnano ie: 'Il Traforo' as it's more commonly known).

Valuable information ​​and points of interest

This trail follows along the watershed of the most important Agerolese area. Along its path you will meet numerous springs that feed the Rio Penise, the River Canneto and the Rio di Gragnano.

The presence of water favors a very diverse vegetation and the presence of aquatic fauna, for example, the spotted salamander, frogs, and water snakes, as well as badgers, foxes, weasels and wild boar. Between Campora and the upper valley of Penise, you will cross three diverse land uses dating back to the Middle Ages : that that is inhabited, that that is Chestnut grove and that of woodland. In the first part you can admire the ruins of ancient shelters, as well as the ruins of the gun-powder storage building dating back to the Bourbon period. The springs of the Fiobana area (a placename derived from the word 'fluvio'/flubio'), are joined with the presence of impermeable layers (green marl) of Mid Cretaceous limestone. Shortly after the mule track you will observe an old ice house , while in the area of Acqua del Gavido, you have the ruins of a seasonal mountain home. The summit of Mt. Cervigliano is a beautiful example of tectonic klippen , in which overlapping is visible where the water from the Acqua Fredda flows, and in other points around the altitude of 950 to 1000 m. It crosses the Cretaceous limestone shales and Miocene sandstone which are seen, for example, in the clearing above Acqua del Vrecciaro near Acqua del Gavido and St. Giuliano. From the area of Acqua del Vrecciaro to the ruins of St. Angelo a Jugo (see Path 8), you can enjoy the most beautiful panoramas of the Gulf of Naples and that of Vesuvius. Finally, descending from the ridge of Gemini, you walk over the most beautiful stepped, mule path formed from local limestone, which was a principal link between Agerola and the Neapolitan side, before the opening of the Palombelle tunnel.