ABOUT ME
Filippo D’Antuono. piudimille.com
In brief
My name is Filippo d’Antuono. I have been myself since ever, simply adapting to times and events. Since long time I am a walker and nature curious, initially for myself, passing through different steps, then in a more structured way. Presently I am also a guide and, if you lie, a nature connection facilitator: these are the main reasons of this site. I am not however a therapist: see below my qualifications.
At the moment of updating this, May 2021, I just ended my career as University researcher and professor.
I got an Agricultural science degree, with specialisation in Science and techniques of medicinal plants; then I did a career in research and University. My expertise is in agriculture, natural resources, plants, traditional foods. Find at the end my formal curriculum.
All the experiences I did had a role for me: what was important was retained, the rest is gone, leaving, hopefully, a good and solid synthesis.
I also enjoy writing articles about what I know or like and hiking itinerary books, when I find an editor.
Filippo D’Antuono: my qualifications
Hiking guide
Associate LAGAP
Official guide Parco nazionale Appennino Tosco Emiliano
Forest bathing guide
Association of Nature and Forest therapy guide and programs, Certified guide
Rete TEFFIT – Terapie forestali in foreste italiane
Nordic Walking instructor
Scuola Italiana di Nordic Walking
e-bike tour leader
Scuola Italiana di e-bike
Licensed tour leader
Mindfulness facilitator
Personal and nature coach
Trained Coach © NSL Coaching
Speaker about hiking, environment, natural resources, traditional foods
A bit of story
I am Filippo, born in Bologna, 1956.
From age of seven, I passed my summers on the hills of Bologna, where my parents bought a house. Everyday, the whole day, roaming around with my friend Maurizio, who became, among other things, an expert of the Bolognese bell art, and bells player, with whom I am still in contact. We had the push to explore what was around. In the beginning, the families of former sharecroppers: the parents and older son were still farmers. Later, the sons, older and younger, migrated to other jobs. A great change was going on, of which I was not aware at that times.
My friend Maurizio (left), playing bells on the tower bell of Tizzano, near Bologna
The eclipse of adolescence followed, when is difficult to find own dimension. The country life was somewhat neglected, but not forgotten and remained in me, hidden somewhere. I wanted to be a nature reporter, like Folco Quilici. Then I enrolled at the Agricultural faculty, with brilliant and timely studies and started an University career, that became my job, now approaching its natural end. A well done job, I believed, giving me satisfaction, that also allowed me to travel and nourish my curiosity.
I however kept going around also by myself, in good company or, often, alone. I was at the mythical Pollino mountains, and the even more mythical Orsomarso mountains, when nodoby but the locals knew what they were. IGM maps in hands and go, to find the paths. A period with an interest of knowing the southern Apennine. Then started the phase of hikes in "my" Apennine, of my region Emilia Romagna, and a bit of the central Apennine. There was also an idea of walking all along the Apennine ridge, north to south, started with a friend of that time, Alessandro Alessandrini, then abandoned. It was resumed by others, giving raise to the long run trails GEA, Sentiero Italia, etc. A lot of thought started shaping, together with the many photographs I shot.
Then followed a longer range travel period: several years in north Africa, always independent, with my beloved camper van. Also there I met mountain places and people. It may sound as a stock phrase, but it was like a travel back in time, but with rapid changes going on.
After then opening, I did travel in eastern Europe and in the Caucasian Georgia and Armenia, meeting again local and mountain people and places. Once again, "back in time", but passing through fast changes, with something unavoidable that was going to happen.
It was therefore a period with less hikes, preparing however a return back to the origin, that generated this project.
Filippo D'Antuono. piudimille.com
Summit crater lake of mount Azhdahakh, Geghama mountains, Armenia
Village Zakagori, river Terghi valley, Kazbeghi mountain range, Georgia
The project and this site
I never completely stop walking, in reality. Spring 2011: I remembered to have read, time before, of mount's Catria spring flowers and wanted to go and see. I left with my camper van and maps, and slept in Chiaserna: there was still and open hotel, that I used for my dinner. There was a road winding up to the mountain, but the day after, before seven, I left by foot; almost 1300 metres ascent, to mount's Catria summit: not bad, after so much time of reduced activity. The day was clear; in front of me there was mount Acuto, with all the paths of the map well visible; I must go there: I descended at the saddle between the two mountains, and up again to mount Acuto. From there, I saw the side of mount Catria that I did not see before, with another attractive path; I must do it. So I descended from mount Acuto, by a different way, and ascended again to the ridge of mount Catria, then down, back to Chiaserna, where I arrived at seven p.m., with over 1800 uphill gradient and the same downhill done, and somewhat broken. But what I day, I thought, I must do again.
So I started doing loop hikes, on different mountains, a bit randomly, many of which with over 1000 m gradient. And an idea started appearing: and what about doing such things all along the Apennine, at least the part closer to my places, where probably one cannot imagine to do similar itineraries? After all, I did not bad at mount Catria. So I started a program of 50, then100 hikes, then I lost the count... I had to put some limits. My columns of Hercules will be the Ligurian east and the northern Marche regions, mounts Antola and Pennino. But, as a cornerstone, I always started from the villages, sometimes at low quote.
The idea was shaped, around the "over 1000 metres " and the start from low quotes. Said that way, it may sound as the idea of somebody wanting to show some performance. But, in reality, this was only an inspiration, a string point, that retained however the name.
Some of the flowers welcoming me at mount Catria
The area of the Apennine where più di 1000 is born
Years 2013 and 2014 came, with many itineraries already done and the structure of the program a bit changed: in each area, also shorter hikes, affordable by everybody. And, by consequence, also came the willingness of sharing the thing with others, with an editorial program of itinerary books, that started to develop in 2016: until now, six volumes have been printed.
At the same time, the story was going on. In my starting point villages, I saw the signs of time. Structures once used for holidays, shut down; many things changed, in the last years, and almost invariably in the same direction, of the closing of activities, being hotels, local restaurants or village shops. There is however somebody trying again, or trying to resist.
Many paths turned to roads or disappeared, others are still in good shape. A lot of fallen wood on paths: thirty years ago there wasn't any, since the fallen wood was collected and used; then it started to accumulate.
I thought to all what I heard and saw across years: recurrent meetings about the mountain and its problems; big or smaller projects; innumerable "new" itineraries, with names more or less of phantasy, each of which left signs on the terrain, already faded, and with decaying boards, reporting more or less exact information. Words and money spent, which effect on changing the situation is obscure.
One of the many shut down structures in the Apennine
Filippo D'Antuono. piudimille.com
Could there be a different way?
I thought that the way could be that everybody hade the way and willingness of taking his own favourite approach to nature and physical activity, and then return to places.
By consequence, I went on with my project to put myself in the best conditions to act a mediator between people and nature. The result is this site and all the activities that you can find here.
Welcome again.
One of the many paths transformed into forest tracks, then abandoned and subject to erosion
Fallen wood on path: once there wasn't any, since it was immediately collected. Filippo D'Antuono. piudimille.com
Curriculum
Here you can download my curriculum.
It contains both the "academic" part and the one connected to the activities of this site.
Filippo D'Antuono. piudimille.com
Filippo D'Antuono: my hiking guidebooks
The hiking guidebooks that I published so far. A somewhat unconventional approach. Stay tuned: these are quite long and demanding jobs and new things require a bit o time.
Here the last newcomer
March 2021. Just fresh off the printer Tarka.
Duecento, tra itinerari e loro varianti, grandi e piccole, in questa zona di Appennino.
