Description of the attraction
Furlo Gorge is located on the ancient Roman road Via Flaminia in the Marche region of Italy. This road once connected the shores of the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian seas. The gorge itself, formed by the waters of the Candigliano River, a tributary of the Metauro, between the Pietralata (889 m) and Paganuccio (976 m) mountains, has been included in the territory of the natural reserve of the same name since 2001.
By order of the Roman Emperor Vespasian, a tunnel was made here to facilitate the passage along Via Flaminia in the narrowest part of the gorge. Hence, by the way, its name came from - the Latin word "forumum" means "small hole". Near Furlo there is another similar, but smaller passage, made during the Etruscan period.
The Furlo Tunnel is 38.3 meters long and 5.95 meters high. During the Gothic Wars in the 6th century, the Ostrogothic king Totila ordered the passage to be fortified, but his forces were driven out by the Roman general Belisarius. Between 570 and 578, the Lombards conquered the passage and destroyed the fortifications.
In 1930, on the slopes of Mount Pietralata, the profile of the Italian ruler Benito Mussolini was carved, which later, during the Second World War, was destroyed by partisans. And in the 1980s, car traffic in Furlo Gorge was blocked by the construction of two high-speed tunnels.
As for the reserve "Gola di Furlo", located in the province of Pesaro, 35 km from the city of Fano, this is a real paradise for wildlife lovers and fans of active recreation. On its territory, traces of the activities of the Etruscans and Romans have been preserved - massive defensive walls, stone buildings and tunnels. The landscape of the reserve is very impressive and picturesque. The slopes of the Pietralata and Paganuccio mountains, as if "licked" by the waters of the Candigliano River, rise hundreds of meters above a small lake with greenish water and the Furlo gorge itself, creating one of the most attractive landscapes in central Italy. Not far from the aforementioned tunnel is the ancient Abbey of San Vincenzo, also known as Petra Pertuza, built in the 9th century. A little further away is the more modern Pelingo temple, built in 1820.
There are two settlements on the territory of the reserve, through which all hiking trails pass. One of them is Aqualagna, a small town with 4 thousand inhabitants, famous for its truffles - the most valuable in Italy. They have been mined here since time immemorial - today about 2/3 of all truffles produced in Italy are in Aqualanya. In addition, in the city and its surroundings, it is worth visiting the so-called Candigliano fortress - a long viaduct dating back to the era of Ancient Rome, the ruins of the ancient Via Flaminia road and the same tunnel built by Emperor Vespasian in 76 AD.
The second interesting city is Fossombrone. It stretches between the plain and the hills in the valley of the Metauro River. At the top of the Sant Aldebrando hill are the ruins of the Malatesta fortress, and immediately below them is Cittadella - the heart of the modern city with its magnificent ancient palaces, churches with bell towers and the huge Corte Alta dei Montefeltro.
Throughout the Gola di Furlo nature reserve, there are many hiking trails that introduce the history, culture and natural wealth of these places. During your trip, you can also visit the surrounding towns of Apecchio, Calli, Cantiano and Piobbico, which retain the cozy atmosphere of the past.
