The Faggeta extends on the summit of Mount Cimino at over 1000 meters above sea level, in a suggestive natural setting, and occupies a very large area of ​​over 50 hectares of land. In the forest you will find many different varieties of trees and shrubs but the real protagonists are the centuries-old beech trees. Some trees are over 200 years old, which is why it is called “ancient forest”. The suggestive Faggeta of Soriano nel Cimino is among the most majestic and imposing in central Italy and, since 2017, UNESCO has proclaimed it a “Natural Heritage of Humanity”.

The ancient beech forest of Soriano nel Cimino is not only a splendid natural setting but also holds a very long history. As soon as you arrive at the car park, before entering the woods, you will be welcomed by a large trachyte boulder. This material is an effusive magmatic rock that bears witness to the significant volcanic activity of the surrounding area. Curiosities and legends revolve around this ancient boulder, nicknamed Rupe tremante. Celebrated by Pliny the Elder as a "miracle of nature", the large boulder is approximately 8 metres long, 6 metres wide and 3 metres high. What makes it so special is its characteristic position: suspended in balance on a rocky protrusion of the ground, it can be swung quite easily using a large stick as a lever.

Finally, the history of the Faggeta di Soriano nel Cimino has its roots in the late Bronze Age; archaeological excavations and studies have revealed numerous remains of Etruscan and Roman settlements.

TREMBLING ROCK (or NATICARELLO ROCK)
It is an enormous trachytic boulder measuring almost nine metres by seven, just over three metres high, formed by the hardening of the lava erupted by the Cimino volcano, which can be admired by entering the woods near the Faggeta car park. Although its weight is around 250 tonnes, it remained balanced on a rocky outcrop of the ground following erosion of the remaining part of the support base, and can be easily swung with a simple wooden pole used as a lever. Precisely for this characteristic, two thousand years ago, Varro spoke of it as the “totius mundi portentum”, the Gaul as “terrestre navigium” while Pliny the Elder described it as “naturae miraculum”. A little further down, following the path, it is possible to admire the Acquagrande spring.

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