Snowshoeing amidst myths and legends is the perfect way to inaugurate the snow season on Mount Terminillo. As we climb up the bends, the beech forests lose their autumnal hues and turn white.
We arrive at the Rialto parking lot, where the sleet falls and the temperature is very cold. We courageously continue snowshoeing along a circular path that leads us to the Sword in the Stone at the panoramic site of Cinque Confini, discovered by chance by two CAI hikers in 1978.
A blast from the past, when, in December 1307, five fleeing Templars, the Marshal of the Temple Guy de La Roche and four of his fellow knights, camped on the slopes of Mount Terminillo, the peak that marked the border between the Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples.
To escape the arrest warrant issued by Pope Clement V, Marshal Guy de la Roche decided to release his brothers from their Templar oath on the night of the winter solstice. They stripped off their cloaks, said goodbye to each other, and parted forever, while the Marshall thrust his sword into the stone. One of the knights participated in the founding of Cittaducale, while the others hid in the communities of Micigliano, Castel Sant’Angelo, and Borgo Velino.
Their story was told in the testament of Fra Bernardo, the new name Guy de la Roche took after deciding to follow the Franciscan rule at the Sanctuario della Foresta in Rieti. According to legend, as long as the sword remains stuck in the stone, the five surrounding municipalities will stay united and undefeated, while a more recent one recommends not to touch the sword if you want to have good luck.
We continue along the cross-country ski trail and enter the heart of a silent magic beech forest, obscured by a white blanket covering the bare branches of the tall, majestic trees. Still enchanted, we resume our journey along a four-kilometre easy trail until we reach the Cinque Confini viewpoint, and then proceed uphill amidst the beech trees, crossing small streams and enjoying the sound of frozen snow under our feet.
After snow comes fog and we can barely see, but we will return next spring and will be able to admire the whole horizon.