Sabina E-Bike Tour: Cottanello’s San Cataldo hermitage & red marble

The route begins in Casperia, a village nestled in the Sabine Mountains that preserves its medieval “bulb” structure intact, with walls and gates that bear witness to centuries of silent history. On an e-bike, you climb the limestone slopes towards Cottanello, where history becomes rocky at the Hermitage of San Cataldo: a sanctuary carved entirely into the rock, home to Byzantine frescoes dating back to the 10th century and offering a silent glimpse of early medieval mysticism. After a picnic lunch in the mountain pastures, the journey through history continues through the village’s alleys and, if open to visitors, among the remains of the famous Red Marble Quarry, known since Roman times and used to adorn the most illustrious monuments of Christianity, such as St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The return to Casperia passes through a landscape that has shaped the local culture, including ancient transhumance routes and panoramas that evoke the centuries-old harmony between man and the countryside.