I K of the trail are the ruins of Castelvecchio, one of the last places in Tuscany to be hit by the Black Death of 1348. This terrifying outbreak of the bubonic plague took approximately two out of every three lives in Europe. When word reached neighboring towns that Castelvecchio had been infected, troops were sent to surround the village so that no one might enter or leave. After a few months, when the inhabitants were believed dead, a reconnaissance patrol discovered that the town was empty. The villagers had apparently fled by a secret passage. The town was never inhabited again but today we are able to explore the vine-covered ruins.