Macchie, Castelsantangelo sul Nera

Macchie is an Italian village and hamlet (frazione) of the municipality of Castelsantangelo sul Nera, in the Province of Macerata, Marche. For ISTAT 2001 census, it had a population of 16.^[1]

Macchie
Frazione
Macchie from Spina di Gualdo
Macchie Location of Macchie in Italy
Coordinates: 42°53′50″N 13°10′58″E
Country	Italy
Region	Marche
Province	Macerata (MC)
Comune	Castelsantangelo sul Nera
Elevation	1,078 m (3,537 ft)
Population  (2001)[1]
• Total	16
Demonym	Macchiani
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	62039
Dialing code	(+39) 0737
Patron saint	St. John the Baptist
Saint day	24 June

Geography

The village is placed at 1078 metres in the middle of the Monti Sibillini National Park.

The name "Macchie" derives from the woods (in Italian: macchie^[2]) that surround the village. It is a mountainous area in the national park of the Sibillini mountains. Below the village one can admire the Vallinfante valley and nearby the Passo Cattivo, Porche di Vallinfante, Colle La Croce, Monte Pagliano, Monte Prata and Monte Cardosa. The village is also at the foot of Monte Cornaccione which, however, cannot be seen entirely from the village.

Places of interest

There are two churches in Macchie: St. Anthony's (in Italian: Chiesa di Sant'Antonio) and St. John's(in Italian: Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista). At about 100 metres below the village there is a chapel: The Little Virgin (in Italian: La Madonnella), dedicated to the latter. It was restored and consecrated again in August 2007.

Likewise another chapel, along a nearby mountain: The Virgin of Forcella's Chapel (in Italian: Cappella della Madonna della Forcella), was completely rebuilt in the summer of 2008 by a group of volunteers.

Photo gallery

• 
  Passo Cattivo dominates Macchie
• 
  The Little Virgin is placed on the old way to Vallinfante
• 
  The Virgin of Forcella's Chapel is placed along a nearby mountain
• 
  The St. John's Church is in the plaza
• 
  The St. Anthony's Church is placed at the end of Macchie

Bibliography

• Sonia Pierangeli. Castelsantangelo sul Nera La Storia I Simboli Le Emozioni. Piediripa, Grafica Maceratese, 2009.