Forca di Presta

Forca di Presta is a 1,536-metre pass on the Marche–Umbria border, between Monte Vettore and the Sibillini crest.

Why it matters

The pass lies in the territory of Arquata del Tronto and forms a natural crossing between the Marche and Umbria. From this high saddle, Monte Vettore rises above the Castelluccio plateau, which lies more than a thousand metres below.

What to notice

The surrounding landscape includes the Monte Vettore and Monte Vettoretto massif, the cultivated Piani di Castelluccio on the Umbrian side, and the Tronto valley to the south. The pass is open grassland within the central Apennines.

Context and history

The saddle served as a crossing for shepherds moving flocks between the plateau and the Tronto valley. Its mountaineering history includes a winter ascent of Vettore from this side by Damiano Marinelli, guide G. Cicoria and shepherd A. Capocci on 4 March 1876. The route from the pass became a standard ascent toward the highest peaks of the Sibillini. A cross at 1,920 metres commemorates climber Tito Zilioli, who died in a snowstorm in 1958; the nearby refuge bears his name. The 2016 seismic sequence damaged the high refuge in this area.