Tag Archives: wood

The Eremo di Soffiano in the Sibillini Mountains, Le Marche, Italy

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Eremo di Soffiano in the Sibillini Mountains, Le Marche, Italy

The sign pointing to the Eremo di Soffiano in the Sibillini Mountains, Le Marche, Italy


While driving from Casa Carotondo to the Prati di Ragnolo (the meadows of Ragnolo) to look at the wild flowers and the views you will pass the Santuario di San Liberato. Shortly after that is a turning to the left with the signpost Eremo di Soffiano (the hermitage of Soffiano). You can park your car at the junction and take the easy walk to the hermitage. The path leads you into a steep valley with the river Terro flowing below. After about 30 minutes you will come across the remains of a cave that was used by Franciscan monks as a hermitage many centuries ago. Continue reading →

Coppicing at Casa Carotondo, Le Marche, Italy

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Casa Carotondo has its own small wood. It was not something we had specifically wanted when looking for a house but while considering our move to Le Marche from London, we found out that gas in Italy is quite expensive. So we were pleased that we actually had our own source of fire wood. Chopping and preparing firewood is actually time-consuming and tiring work but somehow satisfying at the end of the process when you stand back and look at your full log store. It is a job that is generally carried out in early spring, when there are a thousand other things to do in the garden. We do have gas at Casa Carotondo but mostly for cooking or to heat the sanitary water on a cloudy summer’s day (we normally use solar panels to heat the water). Although some energy in the form of diesel and electricity is used to chop and transport the wood, on the whole it is a sustainable and cheap way to keep warm.
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