Loop of Ruoti

Your cycling exploration begins in the heart of Ruoti, a picturesque village with Samnite origins and nestled on a hill overlooking the Avigliano River valley. The starting point is Piazza San Vito, near the Villa Comunale Palatucci, where you can immediately immerse yourself in local history with the Ruoti Graphic Novel illustrated tour and the fountain trail. Don't forget to visit the Mother Church of San Nicola di Bari, rebuilt in neoclassical style, which houses valuable works of art, including 16th-century canvases and 18th-century paintings.

Leaving the town center, the tour extends into the surrounding hills. A steady climb takes you beneath the hill of Toppa Romito, before winding down, skirting the slopes of Toppa Capiazzo and passing near the rural villages of Toppo di Scioscio and Acqua Bianca. This section of the route allows you to appreciate the area's natural beauty, passing by the imposing Abetina di Ruoti. The loop reaches the Torno Pass and the camper area, from which you can access, via trails, the small and picturesque Lago Scuro.

The second part of your itinerary takes you back to Ruoti for an immersion in archaeology. Heading toward San Giovanni, you'll reach the important site of the Roman and Late Antiquity villa of San Giovanni di Ruoti. This villa, excavated by Canadian archaeologists, is a highly significant site that demonstrates the various evolutionary phases of the settlement, from the 1st to the 6th century AD. After admiring this historical testimony, the loop concludes, leading you back to the village, enriched by the hilly views and the stories preserved in and around Ruoti.