The village

The village of Genga is a small medieval castle built on the rock located in the heart of the Marche, along the pre-Appennine band a stone's throw from the city of Fabriano in the province of Ancona. Recognized as the birthplace of Pope Leo XII (1760-1829), Genga owes its national and international notoriety to Frasassi Caves, destination every year of hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world. Inserted within the Gola della Rossa and Frasassi Regional Natural Park, its territory immersed in nature is a popular destination for hikers, climbers, speleologists and bikers.

Strolling

The Frasassi location, so named for the presence of the gorge that separates rock formation in two impressive "stones", hosts one of the most suggestive natural heritage in the world: Frasassi Caves. Discovered in September 1971 - this year marks the 50th Anniversary - they attract over 300,000 visitors from all over the world every year and represent an essential destination for school tourism. Between huge stalactites and stalagmites, the tourist trail stretches for about 1.5 km and offers the visitor a unique experience in the heart of the earth through a history of millions of years. For the most adventurous, there is also the possibility to face two speleological paths: armed with helmet, overalls and special harnesses, the speleological guides lead the visitor out of the traditional route, to discover cavities otherwise not to be visited. Once re-emerged from hypogea exploration, the territory of Genga offers tourists the opportunity to discover monuments, places of art, worship and devotion.
Enclosed between the walls of the medieval castle and native place of Pope Leo XII (1823- 1829), at the century Annibale of the Genga (1760-1829), Genga is headquarters today of the Municipality and the Consorzio Frasassi, an institution that manages the famous Caves. In addition to the churches of San Clemente and Santa Maria Assunta there is the museum  "Art,  History  and  Territory"  which  among  the  different  works,  hosts  the
Madonna  and  Child,  a  sculpture  attributable  to  the  workshop  of  Antonio  Canova,  a
triptych by Antonio da Fabriano (15th century XV) and the Venus of Frasassi, a copy of a Paleolithic statuette, whose the original is preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of the Marche.
Along the throat of Frasassi, in the cave of the Blessed Virgin arise the Madonna di Frasassi Sanctuary, known as the Valadier Temple, inaugurated in 1828 by Pope Leo XII on the project by the architect Giuseppe Valadier and the Sanctuary of Santa Maria Infra- Saxa, an ancient Benedictine monastic hermitage, presumably before the 11th century.
In the village of San Vittore stands the Abbey of San Vittore alle Chiuse, an imposing Romanesque building with a Greek cross dating back to the 11th century in the process of being recognized as a UNESCO heritage site, with the adjoining Speleo Paleontological and Archaeological Museum, in which there is a fossil of ichthiosaur, a marine reptile that lived in the Mesozoic Era. In front of the church, a bridge whose stand of Roman origin is defended by a medieval tower.
Located in a strategic position close to the Gorges of Frasassi and Rossa, stands the Lombard castle of Pierosara, ancient Castrum Petrosum, which in addition to the churches of San Sebastiano Martire and the Blessed Virgin Mary of Graces, preserves the watchtower, the two access gates and the legend of Piero and Sara handed down to the present day.
Frasassi is also fun and discovery: in the area of San Vittore it is possible to entertain yourself at Frasassi Avventura, an acrobatic park that develops along the banks of the Sentino river, where between zip-lines and suspension bridges, you can live a unique experience of its kind.
For trekking lovers, the paths of the Gola della Rossa and Frasassi Park, including Foro
degli Occhialoni, Sentiero dell'Aquila, Sentiero del Papa and the Valle Scappuccia, offer the possibility of breathtaking excursions in the most panoramic and suggestive points in contact with the animal and plant biodiversity present.
Frasassi is also one of the destinations of mountain bikers who walk along the many dirt trails present, climbers who try their hand at the different climbing walls and speleologists in exploration of the many karst cavities that exist.
Finally, for wellness lovers, the famous Terme di Frasassi which represent an unmissable stop to enjoy, in well-deserved relaxation, the treatments reserved for personal care.