Mt. Il Cerchio (The Circle)

Situated to the east of Massa Martana, it can be reached by following the provincial road that from near the Church of the Ascension climbs up to the Martani Mountains in the direction of Terzo San Severo, as far as Le Troscignole del Pozzacchiolo, where there is a path that leads to the ridge of Mt. il Cerchio, covering 1.6 km on a slight slope. The secondary grasslands at the summit are very interesting, especially in spring when there are beautiful flowers. The site is also interesting in that on a rise, south of the summit, are the remains of a perfectly circular Castelliere (hence the name of the mountain). It dates back to pre-Roman times and was built with dry-stone blocks of limestone. A “castelliere” (or “castellare”) is a small fortified protohistoric (Bronze and Iron Ages) settlement or village, usually built in an easily defensible elevated position, in which a natural defensive situation was exploited and reinforced by man. The Castelliere di Monte il Cerchio (Castles of Monte il Cerchio), which in recent years has become very famous for the halo of mystery and mysticism that surrounds it, so much so that it has been compared to Stonehenge!
This discovery was made possible thanks to satellite observations making it possible to identify this very site as a sort of circular wall, partly demolished and covered by vegetation, about one metre high and 2-3 metres thick. A series of boulders scattered around the construction suggest that the wall was originally much higher. It is difficult to identify the intended use of the place; various sources define it as a pre-Roman settlement of shepherds, a castelliere, probably built by the Umbrians who inhabited these areas before the Romans. In this case, the circular walls had a predominantly defensive function for the settlement built inside. Other sources define it as a sort of astronomical observatory or place of worship, given its privileged position on high ground and the possibility of admiring the starry sky in all its splendour.
The fact remains that when one arrives at this place, a very special aura of mysticism envelops one, the large stones, surrounded by moss and the roots of centuries-old trees, exude an ancient history of syncretism and magic.