he Sibillini Mountains National Park cover over 70 thousand hectares and straddle between Umbria and Le Marche. The Park was founded in 1993.

The Park is characterized by the presence of many peaks over 2000metres high, of which the highest is Mount Vettore (2,476metres). On the eastern flanks of the mountains, in Le Marche, there are the valleys of the rivers Aso, Tenna and Ambro, that together with Nera on the west form the river system of the Park.

There are also two lakes, Fiastra (an artificial lake) and Pilato, found at 1940metres above sea level, below the summit of Mount Vettore. There is a rich abundance of different varieties of trees, including turkey oaks, moutain maple, chestnut, holm oaks and beech. There are fifty different species of mammals, including wolves, porcupines, martens, snow voles as well as the roe deer, reintroduced to the park in recent years. There are 150 different species of birds, including the royal eagle, pelegrine falcon, barn owl, sparrowhawk, woodpecker and alpine chaffinch.

There are over 20 different species of reptile and invertebrates, in particular the Orsini viper, and the Marchesoni grey mullet, a small crustacean that is found in Pilates Lake.

mandola is a small town of approximately four thousand inhabitants, 500 metres above sea level, on the south east slopes of the Sibillini Mountains.

It occupies a spendid position on the summit of three hills. Three medieval families (Leone, Marrubbione and Agello) united in 1248 to form the town.

The name Amandola derives from the Italian for almond, “mandorlo”, a tree that was very common in the area at the time of its foundation. The old houses in the centre of the town are built of traditional brickwork and there are various buildings of historical and archiectural interest, including the Church of St Francis (the Cloisters house the Local Civic Museum), the Church of St Agostino, and the Church of Sain Vincenzo and Anastasio.

Only six kilometres away, in Montefortino, is the Santuary of The Madonna of the Ambro, a spring which arises at 700metres of above sea level. This centre for many pilgrimmages was founded in the year 1000, and the construction of the shrine was completed in 1603.

arnano is an enchanting medieval town, with approximately 3,500 inhabitants, on a hilltop on the north east slopes of the Sibillini Mountains, on the road between Camerino and Ascoli Piceno.

The steep narrow streets of the historical centre - all of which is constructed in historical brickwork - culminate at the Piazza Alta which is surrounded by public and religious buildings of architectural distinction. The Church of S. Maria Assunta occupies a prominent position at the apex of the town, dating back to the twelfth century.

In the time of the Roman Emperor Augustus the hill of Sarnano was first inhabited, followed at the beginning of the thirteenth century by two families from Lombardy who laid the foundations for a new town, in direct opposition to the feudal powers of the day. The new town of Sarnano winds around the base of the hill, where the thermal baths can be found.

Sarnano recently received the orange award from the Touring Club. This award recognizes towns with a tradition for promoting local history, the environment, the quality of hospitality to visitors, ease of information, efficiency of the local transport network, reception offered to guests and the facilities available to visitors - including local support by tour operators, local food and drink and cultural facilities, as well as the urban environment.