Poggiodomo: the hamlet in Italy where COVID never arrived

In Italy there is a village that has never known COVID.
It is Poggiodomo, located in the heart of Umbria, in central Italy.
This small hamlet is living in its own world, and its ancient little houses and wild nature have kept Covid away, which, according to the local mayor, locals have only seen on TV.
This village is now one of the few places in the world that has not known this virus, but how is it possible?

The hamlet has just 96 inhabitants and this can certainly be an advantage, even if the average age of its small population is around 65.
Already at the beginning, the Umbrian village promptly adopted anti-Covid measures knowing that it could have manage this emergency with such a small population: face masks were immediately distributed to everyone and a great deal of information was made, creating a barrier, apparently, effective.
Moreover, Poggiodomo has never had a suspected Covid case and will probably never see it. In fact, due to the high average age of citizens, 40% of the population has now already been vaccinated.
Surely the isolated position has helped Poggiodomo in this battle, and the virus seems to have failed to make its way through the few alleys of the Italian hamlet. Certainly thanks to the security measures promptly adopted, but also to the main characteristic of Poggiodomo: being a closed community, isolated from the rest of the world.

The fact of being Covid-free, however, is not the only thing that makes this small and picturesque village unique.
Poggiodomo is the smallest and highest town in Umbria and, among its narrow streets, it seems that time has stopped. The houses perched on the rock and the narrow streets are a symbol of a place that goes at a different pace.
Not surprisingly, the village has always hosted monks and hermits and there is still a testimony of this spiritual tradition: the Hermitage of the Madonna della Stella.
Built in the 8th century a short distance from the town center, in addition to being of great historical and religious value, the sanctuary has a feature that makes it even more interesting: it is mostly dug into the rocky wall behind it, and features several hermit caves.

The hermitage can only be reached on foot and to do so you have to follow a path completely surrounded by nature, bordered by a clear stream that forms a small waterfall.
But the hermitage of the Madonna della Stella is not the only thing to see, as the historic center of Poggiodomo is full of fascinating surprises, starting with the layout of the ancient castle that was once the beating heart of the town.
Equally suggestive is the Church of San Carlo Borromeo, dating back to the first half of the 1600s, inside which splendid wooden baroque altars and precious paintings are kept.

The protagonist of this village, however, is another: the unspoiled nature, including the luxuriant woods that surround the village and the paths that immerse themselves in the pristine green of the Umbrian Apennines, which make it the perfect place for lovers of trekking, walking and mountain biking.
In short, the ideal place to relax in nature and immerse yourself in a way where COVID does not exist….