Monte Cervati
Piaggine (SA)
FamousHiking
The story
The highest peak in Campania is reached from Piaggine through beech woods and high-altitude meadows, where a cave-sanctuary opens just below the summit.
The story
Monte Cervati, at 1,899 metres, is the highest peak in the Cilento and one of the greatest in Campania. It rises between the municipalities of Piaggine and Sanza, in the Cilento National Park; from its slopes rises the river Calore. Near the summit, at over 1,800 metres, are a small sanctuary and a chapel carved into a natural grotto, dedicated to the Madonna della Neve (Our Lady of the Snow).
What to see
The mountain offers high-altitude environments rare in the South, with woods, summit grasslands and panoramas ranging from the Tyrrhenian to the Apennines. Near the summit, the grotto-chapel of the Madonna della Neve is the goal of a still-living devotion and of pilgrimages.
Hours and prices
Free entry.
Tips
It is not a stroll: the climb to the Cervati requires fitness, good legs and several hours of walking, with a demanding change in altitude. Go only in fine weather and with proper equipment (boots, water, warm layers), better with a guide or in company. At altitude the weather changes quickly and in winter there is snow. If you go up to the sanctuary during the pilgrimage, respect its devotional character.
Frequently asked questions
How high is Monte Cervati?
1,899 metres: it is the highest peak in the Cilento and one of the greatest in Campania.
Is Monte Cervati difficult to climb?
Yes: it is a demanding excursion of several hours, with considerable change in altitude. It should be attempted only in fine weather, with fitness and proper equipment, watching for weather that changes quickly and for winter snow.
What is on the summit of Monte Cervati?
A small sanctuary and a chapel carved into a natural grotto, dedicated to the Madonna della Neve, the goal of devotion and pilgrimages, as well as high-altitude panoramas.
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