A dream town perched half way up a mountain, so is the tiny cluster of homes haphazardly (and astonishingly) built along Monte Botolino. This central Italian mountain is a cross between a rolling hill and a rugged slope, at times featuring such dry slabs of rock it seems arid. The stretches of rock are interrupted by juniper trees, which happen to be one of the only forms of vegetation that can survive the harsh winds from the North. Eventually the ochre-coloured rock gives way to the greyish-blue of clay-rich formations that meld smoothly into more lush stretches of vegetation featuring Turkey oak, beech trees and pine.
The mountain peak can easily be reached by foot or along a battered, but equally picturesque road, giving hikers and visitors the chance to explore the winding mountainside with its magical rocky ups and downs, interspersed with patches of oak trees. Further ahead, visitors may plunge themselves into the mysterious maze-like forest of the mountain with its vertigo-inducing cliffs. In the wintertime, the forest transforms itself into a breathtaking frozen landscape, with layers upon layers of snow, the constant whistle of faraway winds, and the howl of a wolf by the moonlight.
The further you go, the more the anticipation builds. Behind each curve you expect to find the quaint town perched on the mountain. Yet curve after curve just leads to more forest and more greenery, with the sky looking more and more within arm’s reach. Then suddenly, you turn one last curve and the cluster of mountain-side homes appears solid stone houses built on extremely rough terrain. They seem to be hanging onto a thread, perched hundreds of meters above the valley below. The optical illusion is both fascinating on the one hand yet terrifying on the other. Euphoria overcomes you here as you look onto the abyss below, with nothing but a wooden palisade stopping you from falling. You no longer know quite well if the sky lies above or below you. Here, you are the sky and your eyes are free to roam the vast Marecchia valley, your gaze losing itself among the green mountain tops and the clean fresh air. Far away in the distance, the mountain tops seem to be dyed blue from the tint of the skies.
Atop this paradise-like mountain, visitors will find a sense of peace. Your sense seem heightened for the altitude pun not intended and for the tangible sense of danger that looms on the edge. They are equally strengthened by the freshness of the air and all its nuanced fragrances. Here your soul is doubly engaged and satisfied. At once you look over the land, feeling like a King, while you are also lifted high up in the air with a feeling of reaching impossible heights. This is a truly enchanting, vertigo-inducing, unique land.
Excerpt from Marta Bonaccini’s “IL PAESE SUL PARADISO”, 1998.