“Lu Vullicaru” Nature Trail and Mud Volcanoes

“Lu Vullicaru” Nature Trail and Mud Volcanoes

From the bridge that crosses the river in Via Spazzi, there is a nature trail, accessible to schools and tourists, rich in vegetation, nestled between clay slopes, leading to a mud volcano, called ‘vullicaru’ in the local dialect. It is a small mud volcano - a sedimentary volcanic formation: clay and brackish water rise to the surface driven by percolating water. The phenomenon is influenced by the presence of Pliocene clay soils and underground pressure, which drag clay sediments along with them to create a small relief, similar to a miniature volcano. Similar volcanoes can be found in many areas of the Marche Apennines (such as Serra de Conti, Montegiorgio, Falerone, Rotella, Monteleone and Offida). In particular, in Monteleone di Fermo, more than six volcanoes have been documented in the past, often active during rainy periods or after seismic events.  Lu Vullicaru is now considered a point of naturalistic and geotouristic interest, useful for understanding the dynamism of the Montappone landscape. In the first part of the route, in a bend carved out by the river, an area has formed which, thanks to its particular acoustics, resembles a natural theatre: in recent years, acoustic concerts organised by the municipality and local youth associations have been held here.

Where

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To reach the point of interest

Distance by car: 1h 23 min Raggiungi

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