The wide gravel road that crosses the plateau north of Verchiano follows the ancient route of the Via della Spina.
This road is of pre-Roman origin and once connected Spoleto to the Marches and the Adriatic sea, by passing through the Colfiorito pass after climbing the furrowed valleys of the pre-Apennine limestone massifs. The name derives from the Spina stream, which also gives its toponym to the locality crossed by the route. From Spoleto the ancient road would divert from the Flaminian Way and pass through the current area of Spina Nuova and Spina Vecchia, then heading towards Commoro and Orsano, Verchiano and Colfiorito.
The road, which had its peak success during the Roman age, undoubtedly retraces a path used for transhumance and trade well before then. Apart from the many predial toponyms, referable to land holdings of the Roman age, the territory crossed by the road was also rich of “castellieri”, high-altitude settlements from the pre-Roman era.
