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| There are the Simbruini Hills in the province of Frosinone, the Lucretili in the province of Rome and the Duchessa Hills in the province of Rieti. The natural history of these scraps of green may be "read" as we climb up into the hills. The Simbruini have a severe appearance, like the chalk cliff known as La Tagliata, at the foot of which is the Sanctuary of the Trinity, a symbol of faith and devotion. Slightly farther north lie the Lucretili Hills, an area of green gorges and rocky backdrops which open out, here and there, in balconies offering a view from the Tyrrhenian coast as far as the highest mountains of the Apennines. The Pellecchia, an unusual peak shaped like a knife pointing up to the sky, is perhaps the least known of the Lucretili. To visit it we must follow the old sheep tracks. The remains of Horace's Villa, near Licenza, are the oldest of man's remains. There are more hills and solitary plateaux. One of the protected areas is the Montagne della Duchessa nature reserve. This is one of the least visited mountain areas in the Apennines. Lake Duchessa, surrounded by hills, is considered a first-class destination for excursions. Part of this complex mountain system, also the province of Rieti, is the Rascino plateau, with its accordion-shaped lake which changes its shape and length every season. It is fed by rainwater falling onto the permeable upland and the twin plateau of Cornino, both of which have many sink holes. For centuries, shepherds and woodcutters have trudged along the unmetalled road that winds its way through huge woods to the lake. For centuries the two plateaux, divided by the blue lakes, have provided pastures and paths for transhumance. Nothing has changed! Nor has there been any change in the Monti della Laga, hills in the territory of Amatrice. Lying in the centre of a green hollow, this territory is composed of a central plateau, with the Lake Scandarello, and hills more than 2400 metres high, including a very varied mountain heritage. The range is composed of fairly impermeable rocks, such as sandstone and marl, limiting the infiltration of rainwater. Hence the existence of a great many springs, streams and waterfalls which contribute to the flourishing greenery of the woods and meadows. This lasts all year. That is quite a lot, for the complex system of woods and forests. And it is not all, because Amatrice turned an elementary country recipe into one of the most famous dishes in Italian cuisine: the world-famous spaghetti all'amatriciana. It is an art town too. The main attraction for visitors is its churches, which are too many to mention individually. The Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie, or Icona Passatora, deserves special mention; just a short way from the town centre, it was built in the thirteenth century and is entirely decorated with votive frescoes. The landscape changes completely when we reach Viterbo. Now we are travelling through Etruscan countryside. This is the scenery of the Etruria of mysteries, of tombs standing guard by wooded ravines, and of wall paintings. Here tufa is the dominant element. At Barbarano, Blera, San Giovenale, Norchia and San Giuliano, the tombs are dug out of soft tufa rock. These are rock burial grounds, in a territory that has remained unchanged over the centuries. The Etruscan world is overwhelming. The visitor is struck by the fine decorations of the paintings in the Etruscan tombs at Tarquinia. But it is not only the history of human culture that makes this land attractive. Its disconcerting fragility is what most strikes us, because so many of these tufa walls, which look so powerful, are now crumbling and everything built on top of them is in danger of collapsing. That's the way things are at Civita di Bagnoregio, a place where history is written in the tufa and which, because of the tufa, is now the "dying town". The risk is very great, because it is man's art that is in danger of dying. Mindful of this, the province of Viterbo invites us to visit a protected area. This is the nature reserve of Monte Rufeno, where an "excursion" camp is in activity.
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