Symbol of love and prosperity, mistletoe has always been considered a plant that brings good luck. Like a baby in the womb, its life is tied to that of its host. It is nourished by its long shoots. Along the track starting from the “Sannitica” road, SS 87, in the section from Sepino to Morcone and running close to a quiet stream, the trees are covered in smaller and larger mistletoe bushes. After about 1 km from the watering hole, which also provides refreshment for horses, the rough road becomes a track. The Tholos shepherds’ hut is the destination: a dry-stone structure once used as a shelter, built without cement, in a series of successive layers right up to the dome-shaped top. Parts of local history and culture, places of pastoral tradition, tholos shepherds’ huts evoke ways of living in harmony with nature. Important note for romantics: the duration of the hike depends on how many times you stop to kiss under the mistletoe!
Technical Information
Start and finish: Defenze hamlet – Pietraroja. Distance: 4 km circuit. Total ascent: 70 m. Duration: 2 hours. Type of path: first section dirt road, second section track. Difficulty: Tourist.