Hannibal's Trail (Tracciolino d'Annibale)

Tracciolino d'Annibale (Hannibal's trail) is the route followed by the great carthaginian general Hannibal Barca in the summer of 217 BC, during the II Punic war. After the successfull battle against the legions leaded by consul Flaminius near Lake Trasimeno, Hannibal lead his troops across this high mountains to avoid roman legions leaded by Quintus Fabius Maximus guarding the valleys. This legend is handed down by the shepherds of Amatrice, and seems hard to imagine thousands of Carthaginian soldiers lined up in phalanx, the Spanish light infantries, the Numidian cavalry, the Celts horsemen and many others mythical units crossing by this harsh and wild mountains, but the last archeological studies seem to confirm that Hannibal's troops really passed by Laga Mountains! Monti della Laga, 24th June 2007.