Macchie, Castelsantangelo sul Nera
Introduction '''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.
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'') 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 thePasso 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''), dedicatedto 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 File: Passo Cattivo.JPG|Passo Cattivo dominates  MacchieFile:La Madonnella, Macchie.JPG|''The Little Virgin'' is placed on the old way to VallinfanteFile:Madonna della Forcella.JPG|''The Virgin of Forcella's Chapel'' is placed along a nearby mountainFile:Sant'Antonio (Macchie, Castelsantangelo sul Nera).JPG|The ''St. John's Church'' is in the plazaFile:Chiesa di San Giovanni Macchie.JPG|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.
References
External links *  Macchie on italia.indettaglio.it