he starting point for this itinerary is the main square of Passignano, near the town hall. The town merits a visit and after a walk in the centre, we climb the stairs to the historic district. We leave Passignano from the upper end, taking Itinerary 50. Following the signs, we then take an unpaved road that leads to “Le Masse”. Our route immediately affords sweeping views of the lake. When we reach the built-up area of Le Masse, with its dusty-pink villa and church, we go straight ahead along a slight descent that circles around the manor. We cross a level stretch with fields and then climb slightly – amidst olive trees and houses – to come to the area of Cerqueto.
From here we continue to a small group of houses around the lovely church of San Donato, set in a strategic and panoramic position overlooking Lake Trasimeno. The area is worth a short visit. We backtrack a little, going around several farmhouses to reach the manor in La Martinella, which boasts notable tree varieties, and then the wide gravel road lined with cypresses. From here, we go uphill into the woods, and after several bends in the road we go past a farmhouse on the right to come to another farmhouse, which has been renovated and is now a restaurant in a panoramic position overlooking the lake.
We continue uphill on the dirt road, also lined on the right with a row of cypresses. After several curves through the woods, at the summit the road intersects with the Trecine–La Cima road near Torre Civitella (607 m). The wide ridge road offers one of the area’s most striking views of the entire Trasimeno territory. We then start to descend and can see the distinctive conical hill with the ruins of Monte Ruffiano in front of us. Going through the areas of San Donato, La Martinella, Cerqueto and Le Masse – in part along new routes and in part along some we have already taken – we return to Passignano.
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