Lake of Pilate is located in the region Marche.
To know
Lake Pilato is a body of water located at an altitude of 1,941 m, on the north side of the Mount Vector, within the area of Monti Sibillini National Park. It is known, and often referred to, as: "the lake with glasses", due to the shape of its complementary and communicating reservoirs in the periods of greater presence of water. Its characteristic color changes from the intense and crystalline green of the edges until it fades, towards the center of the two basins, and reaches the shades of amethyst near the deeper waters.
Geographical notes
The lake is located in the Marche region and belongs to the municipality of Montemonaco, in the province of Ascoli Piceno. Its geographical position is less than a kilometer from the border Umbrian, near the municipalities of Arquata del Tronto and Montegallo. The lake basin is enclosed in a narrow glacial valley north of the main peak of the massif. It is the only natural lake in the Marche region (excluding the coastal lakes) and one of the very few alpine-type glacial lakes present in the Apennines. It was formed due to the dam created by the remains of a moraine created in the ice age. The last modeling of the glacial valley dates back to the upper Pleistocene (from 125,000 to 10,000 years ago). Particular and evocative its sudden and unexpected location between steep and vertical asperity walls immediately below the peak of the Carrier.
The size of the lake and the flow of water mainly depend on the distribution of rainfall: the lake is in fact fed not only by the rains, but above all by the melting of the snows, which cover the surface of the body of water for most of the year early summer; some snowfields survive in the area until August, despite the not very high altitude of the Carrier. The perimeter of the lake is about 900 meters for a width of 130 meters: the measurement of the depth of the reservoirs, equal to about 8-9 meters, was taken in 1990, when the area remained completely dry due to a strong drought. The lake has no visible tributaries, but on the bottom there are sinkholes that can be related to the sources of the Aso river through underground karst channels. It is strictly forbidden to bathe in the waters of the lake. It is necessary to maintain a distance of at least 5 meters from the edge to avoid trampling and crushing the chirocephalus eggs laid on the shore, among the dry rocks. In popular tradition the lake was, and still is, considered a magical place, full of a mysterious charm, full of arcane legends.
- Idronym
Its hydronym comes from the tradition according to which the body of Pontius Pilate, fifth Roman prefect of Judea, in office between the years 26 and 36 AD, would have ended up in its waters, known for the role he played during the Passion of Jesus, according to what the Gospels testify, as he was judge of the trial and ordered the scourging of Christ. He was sentenced to death by Tiberius Claudius Nero and the penalty suffered was not only this, but also the failure to burial his corpse. The body, closed in a sack, was entrusted to a cart of buffaloes left free to wander aimlessly and would have fallen into the lake from the sharp crest of the Cima del Redentore.
A further explanation on the origin of the name is reported by the author Giuseppe Santarelli taking it from the learned Niccolò Peranzoni who, in the seventeenth century, identified the lake as: "Pro pilari lacus dictus est Pilatus". He interpreted the Latin word stack with the meaning of circular shape, as the two circles of water mirrors appear to the observer, and he deduced that the corrosion or the incorrect pronunciation had transformed the lemma pilari in pilates, thus giving rise to the name of Lake Pilate. A more recent research, reported by local authors Narciso Galiè and Gabriele Vecchioni, tends to confirm and strengthen this hypothesis considering it possible that the idronym could derive from the words lacus dipilatus, that is a lake composed of two piles (two circular elements) and which, over time, has transformed into the current name.
Flora and fauna
The lake is home to a particular endemism, the Chirocefalo del Marchesoni, estimated to be of great naturalistic interest due to its rarity. It is a small freshwater crustacean, branchiopod and anostraco, that is, without an exoskeleton, red in color that measures from 9 to 12 millimeters and swims with its belly facing upwards. It was discovered by Vittorio Marchesoni, a distinguished naturalist, who sampled it for the first time in 1954.
The area also has a very small insect called dytiscis, a black-colored water beetle of Boreo-Alpine origin whose scientific name is: Agabus solieri kiesenwetteri.
When to go
To easily reach the lake and visit its area, the most suitable period is the warm season, considering that in winter the paths leading to the basin are covered with snow. During the cold period the mountain and its high altitude routes can only be used by very experienced climbers. The climbing routes that lead to the lake are accessible to anyone who is a little familiar with walking at high altitude, equipped with suitable clothing, inevitable shoes or suitable boots.
Background
| « ... if someone discovers you, he is badly received (...) It is not long that two men surprised you, one of whom was a priest. This priest was led to Norza and there martyred and burned; the other was cut into pieces and thrown into the lake by those who had taken it. » |
| (Antoine De la Sale, The Paradise of Queen Sibyl, 1421) |
The best known tradition, which tells of this lake, is that linked to the figure of Pontius Pilate, Roman procurator in Palestine, who, after his death, found his burial place here.
Perhaps it is precisely this legend that, together with others, initiated and determined the magical, and at the same time diabolical, character and fame of the lake.
The presence of the chirocephalus, the singular reddish crustacean, could perhaps represent a further explanation of the arcane belief that there were demonic creatures in the waters, correlating the meaning of the pagan symbolism that identified and represented the transcendent and underground forces precisely in the crustaceans.
In the early medieval period it was believed that in its waters there were satanic spirits ready to grant and grant favors to those who had given them their souls. From the thirteenth century it was considered a place frequented by witches and necromancers, so much so as to force the religious authorities of the time to prohibit access and to have a gallows placed at the beginning of the valley as a warning. Dry stone walls were raised around its basin in order to avoid reaching its waters for the celebration of the so-called consecration of the Command books, an irrevocable pact for eternity made between the necromancers and the devil. In the books were written the formulas of the spells that witches and sorcerers would use to obtain magical power in their actions.
Another traditional tale, in which historical and fantastic facts are mixed, wants the city of Norcia sacrifice one of its citizens every year, already condemned for serious crimes, in the waters of the lake, in order to safeguard and protect its inhabited center from fatal events, calamities and disasters
Another denomination, used in ancient times, was that of Sibyl Lake, as can be seen from a sentence of acquittal issued by the Judge of the Marca Anconitana De Guardaris in the year 1452 and preserved in the Historical Archives of Montemonaco (Parchment N ° 40) in favor of the Montemonachese community, for having accompanied foreign knights to consecrate magical books ad Lacum Sibillæ.
In the museum of the Grotta della Sibilla, near Montemonaco, there is a dark stone, called "The Great Stone", which bears mysterious letters, found near the lake. According to the legend this would be Lake Averno from which you enter the world of the Underworld.
Territories and tourist destinations
Urban centers
The villages closest to this lake are located in the territory of the Ascoli province and rise on the slopes of Mount Carrier, such as Montemonaco, Pretare and Piedilama, the latter in the Arquatano area. A short distance away, on the border with the Umbria region, are the pass and the urban center of Forca Canapine, on the Umbrian side of the mountain there is Castelluccio of Norcia.
How to get
By plane
The nearest airports are:
- Raffaello Sanzio of Falconara (Marche),
- Free of Pescara (Abruzzo),
- Fiumicino is Ciampino From Rome,
- Umbria International Airport of Perugia.
By car
Highways:
- A14: exit San Benedetto del Tronto then follow the signs for Arquata del Tronto, Borgo di Arquata, Pretare and Forca di Presta.
Ordinary viability:
- SS4 Salaria. From the center of Trisungo continue on the SP89 for Arquata del Tronto, Borgo di Arquata, Pretare and Forca di Presta.
On the train
The nearest railway station is that of Ascoli Piceno.
On foot
To get to Lake Pilato you can start from Foce, a small fraction of Montemonaco. From here it is necessary to walk for over two hours on a dirt road heading south, crossing the Piano della Gardosa, until its end (this section can be covered, with some caution, even by car, saving about half an hour; it is sufficient to inquire at the Casa del Parco located at the end of the town). At the end of the road, continue along a steep path on the left, inside a dense grove, which with steep bends (the so-called "Bends") crosses a gully, until it reaches the gentle slopes of the lake valley, at about 1,941 meters of altitude. At this point, proceeding southwards, always near the bottom of the valley, a more grandiose environment opens up, until you reach the basin of Lake Pilato, (about 3 hours walk from Foce, 2.30 starting from the end of the dirt road). For the return, proceed along the same path as the climb.
Alternatively, you can start either from the Marche side, and precisely from Fork of Presta in the municipality of Arquata del Tronto, from which you follow the path to get to the top of Mount Vettore, once you reach the Tito Zilioli refuge you start to descend to the left towards the valley of the lake, both from the Umbrian side, and precisely from Capanna Ghezzi, passing through Forca Viola (of the three is the easiest path).
How to get around
The best means of travel, at any time of the year, is the private car. If the visit is planned during the hot season, the motorbike can also be used.
What see
- 1 Top of the Redeemer (2.448) (Mount Carrier). Summit that offers an extraordinary panorama that includes the Umbrian-Marche hinterland and the complete view of the Pilato Valley and the Gardosa plain. To reach this peak, the route can be taken from Foce di Montemonaco. Walking south, you reach Lake Pilato in about 2.30 / 3.00 hours, then proceed towards the Tito Zilioli refuge, then, from here, towards the panoramic ridge, from which you can see the territory of the provinces of Ascoli Piceno and Macerata. to the east, of the Adriatic Sea and the numerous hills and rivers that are arranged "like a comb" towards it, up to the landscape of the Piani di Castelluccio di Norcia, in Umbria, to the west. Another path, ideal for those who come from Umbria, is the one that goes from Castelluccio di Norcia to Forca di Presta and from there always climbs up to the Tito Zilioli refuge. Alternatively, the long and panoramic ridge taken from the north by Casale Ghezzi and Forca Viola.
- 2 Top of the Lake (2.423) (Mount Carrier). Summit located on the border between Marche and Umbria, facing east / north-east on Lake Pilato and Mount Vettore, while to the west / north-west on Pian Grande di Castelluccio di Norcia. From this summit you can enjoy a magnificent view of the lake and only from this peak it is possible to see the entire extension of the basin and its spectacle shape from above.
What to do
- Excursions. During the hottest periods it is possible to follow paths and hiking trails to be faced on foot and to choose from different degrees of difficulty.
Shopping
Where to eat
There are no refreshment points near the lake and on Mount Carrier. The closest places to find them are: Fork of Presta, Forca Canapine, Pretare is Montemonaco.
Where stay
- 1 Tito Zilioli Refuge, Sella delle Ciaule in Forca di Presta (Mount Carrier), ☎ 39 329 6266800, @[email protected]. The refuge was built at 2,238 m a.s.l. and appears to be the closest to Lake Pialto. It is entrusted only to C.A.I. for overnight stays, upon reservation and delivery of keys. The manager is Nino Leonardi. Built in the 1960s, it is owned by the CAI section of Ascoli Piceno.
Safety
- List of telephone numbers that can be useful during a visit to the lake
- 1 Carabinieri Command Station, Via Roma, 1C (Arquata del Tronto), ☎ 39 0736 809152. Arquata barracks.
- 2 State Forestry Corps, Via Bucciarelli, 11 A Borgo hamlet, ☎ 39 0736 809151, @[email protected]. Seat of the Regional Coordination of the State Forestry Corps - Ancona
- Alpine Rescue Lazio, ☎ 39 348 6131300.
- Alpine Rescue Abruzzo, ☎ 39 340 4500611 (President of the Regional Service), 39 346 5009564 (Alpine Delegate), 39 348 8669675 (Speleo Delegate).
The Ascoli Piceno Alpine Rescue can be contacted via the single national health emergency number 118.
- Pharmacy
- 3 Dr. Palmarocchi, Via Salaria (Trisungo), ☎ 39 0736 809219.
How to keep in touch
Around
- Fork of Presta - In the locality there is the Path for everyone, realized as part of a project of the National Park of the Sibillini Mountains. The percosro is a comfortable walk through the meadows. It starts in front of the Rifugio degli Alpini and extends for about 3 km. Easy and accessible even to people with mobility difficulties. It ends with a wooden walkway resting on the lawn that stops on lookout from which you can see the Laga mountains, on the border with the region Abruzzo, the countries of: Faete, Spelonga, Colle, Arquata del Tronto and Amatrice, in the province of Rieti. Usability is limited to periods when there is no snow.
- Mount Carrier - There is the Trekking route from Forca di Presta to Carrier with a challenging degree of difficulty. From the Forca di Presta pass (1,535 asl) walking a distance of about 10 km (round trip), you reach 2,476 a.s.l. of the summit of the Carrier. The walk lasts about 3 hours outward and 2 hours back. Recommended period: from April to November if there is no snow.
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Lake of Pilate
Commons contains images or other files on Lake of Pilate
