The village of Senerchia and the Boschetiello trail

Senerchia, located in the Sele Valley, on the slopes of Mount Boschetiello, is one of the Irpinia region’s most outstanding natural sites. The best way to visit the town and admire its monumental and natural beauty is to walk the Boschetiello Trail, which starts from the historic center and reaches Monte Boschetiello.

The ghost town of Senerchia

Senerchia is the last Irpinia municipality in the Salerno area, a splendid village in the upper Sele Valley located between the provinces of Avellino and Salerno, a rugged area once prey to bandits. It is one of the Irpinia region’s most outstanding natural sites, characterized by the presence of oases, mountains, and rivers belonging to the Monti Picentini Regional Park, where the Oasi Valle della Caccia is located.

In Senerchia, wild nature blends with ancient and more recent history, as revealed by its now-abandoned medieval village, where the remains of the castle with its central cylindrical tower and defensive walls are still visible. The “ghost” village has been completely uninhabited since the earthquake of November 23, 1980: a hint of the tragedy that struck Irpinia is visible in the clock face at the entrance to the village, which has stopped at 7:34 PM, as if to symbolize the everlasting memory of that wound.

The area is characterized by its housing typology known as “slope houses,” since the ancient rural settlement covered the ridge of Monte Boschetiello, crossed downstream by the Vallone stream, one of the tributaries of the Sele River. These houses, still clinging to the mountain, are a symbol of all those who, despite the tragedy, have carried on and supported one another.

The Boschetiello Trail in Senerchia

The Boschetiello Trail, about 9 km long and suitable for hikers, begins in the upper part of Senerchia and climbs through the medieval village, reaching first the Church of San Michele and then the Castle Ruins Lombard. From here, we proceed in a zigzag fashion, on a mostly asphalt road with hairpin bends, to reach a first panoramic point at the Madonna del Tiglio.

Once we reach an altitude of 1200 m, we proceed at a more regular pace, passing the locality of Baia dei Troni (1470 m) and arriving near the former forestry barracks of Piano Stattea. From here, we turn right, heading northeast, and reach Monte Boschetiello (1574 m). To return, retrace the same path you took.

Up to the forest barracks, this trail is part of the Sentiero Italia Variant that branches off from Sicignano toward the Marzano-Eremita Massif, east of the Sele River, and, through Senerchia, returns to the Picentini Mountains.

A wealth of emotions

The allure of the ghost town, the indelible memory of the earthquake tragedy, a route where dirt road and trail intertwine, the increasingly higher panoramic points, give us the The feeling of starting from where time seems to have stopped, to then appreciate nature and life as it continues. One could venture a sort of analogy with Dante’s journey, at the end of which “we emerged to see the stars again.”