Directions when arriving by car:
If coming from the north (Bologna) or south (Ancona), take the A14 autostrada (toll motorway) on the Adriatic coast. Take the FANO exit, then follow the signs for ROMA and AREZZO that take you on to the superstrada (dual-carriageway). Just after the town of FOSSOMBRONE, the superstrada divides. Do not take the turning for Urbino, but bear right, down a slip road, following the signs for ROMA and AREZZO. You will soon pass through a 3-km tunnel that by-passes the Furlo Gorge. Leave the superstrada at the CAGLI EST exit and follow the road for a couple of kilometres, skirting the old town to your right, as far as the town's only traffic lights (actually there is another set just before, by the hospital, but they don’t really count). At the lights turn left over the bridge following signs for PERGOLA.

(Coming from Tuscany to the east, navigate your way to GUBBIO, then follow the signs for FANO and the SS.3. Having climbed up the mountain and dropped down again, turn left at the T-junction and again follow the signs for FANO. As you approach Cagli, take the exit marked SAN GERONZIO and CAGLI; turn right at the bottom of the slip road and follow the road as it skirts the edge of Cagli until you reach the above mentioned traffic lights, where you turn right over bridge.)

Having turned at the traffic lights and crossed the bridge, follow the main road through the modern part of town and back into open countryside.

After about 4 km from the lights, the road leaves the flat plain (look out for the restaurant - Le Fontane - on your right at end of this straight stretch of road), and twists down into a river valley, over a small bridge, and rises up again.

Now take the first left turn, on the brow of the valley. Watch out for traffic on this blind corner - there is a mirror on your left to help you. You will see San Cristoforo on its small hillock to the left of you - take the first left turn, immediately after the small abandoned cemetery. Ben arrivati!

For a more precise way of finding your way look out for the kilometre markers on the left-hand side of the road as you come from Cagli - these mark each kilometre in descending order with smaller signs marking each 100 metres using Roman numerals. Our turning is after the 50 kilometre sign and immediately after the 50 km 200 metre smaller one. If all this sounds incomprehensible the picture below shows the junction with the sign to look out for as an inset:

To get a detailed itinerary from anywhere in Europe to Cagli try the truly amazing Via Michelin route planner at www.viamichelin.com. For destination put “Cagli” as town and “61043” as postcode and, obviously, “Italy” as country.

If you are using GPS navigation the co-ordinates for San Cristoforo are:

• North: 43^o 32’ 48”  East: 12^o 42’ 23”