B1 From Bologna to Monte Adone
LENGTH: 24.9km (*)
DIFFICULTY: average
GRADIENT: ASCENT 750m DESCENT 330m UNSEALED ROAD: 65% SEALED/FOOTPATH: 35%
(*) From Piazza Maggiore to Monte Adone junction. [1.10]. From Bologna Centrale +1.4km.
For information
BOLOGNA WELCOME: Website: www.bolognawelcome.com, t. +39 05165.83.111, booking@bolognawelcome.it. INFOSASSO: Website: www.infosasso.it, t. +39 051-67.58.409 / 334-83.34.945, info@infosasso.it.
Accommodation
BOLOGNA (BOLOGNA CENTRALE STATION AREA): Combo Hostel, Via Carracci 69/14, t. +39 051-03.97.900 / WhatsApp +39 33140.15.159, hello.bologna@thisiscombo. com, 244 bed capacity, in dorm room, sheets included €30–50, DBL €65–90, TRP €90–120, QUAD €120–180, breakfast €10, open all year.
Dopa Hostel, Via Irnerio 41 (in town centre), t. +39 051-09.52.461, info@ dopahostel.com, 30 bed capacity, B&B in dorm room €30–50, B&B per room: SGL, DBL, TRP with shared facilities €75–150, open all year.
Bologna Centrale Stanze Guesthouse, Via Boldrini 5/2, t. +39 392-12.25.762 /
333-36.28.580, camerebolognacentrale@ gmail.com, 16 bed capacity, SGL €40, DBL €60, TRP €80–90 (public holidays and fairs excluded).
B&B 21, Via Irnerio 21, t. +39 327-93.85.994 (Luana), bedandbreakfast21bo@gmail. com, 7 bed capacity, SGL €32, DBL €70.
A Casa Mia Accommodation, Via Saragozza 66, t. +39 339-87.11.060 (Federica), federicamassari@gmail.com, 4 bed capacity, subject to donation, bike storage.
CASALECCHIO DI RENO: Montagnola di Mezzo Holiday House, Via Panoramica 23, inside Parco della Chiusa, t. +39 348-52.52.452 (Manuel), info@ agriturismoparcodellachiusa.it, 11 bed capacity in apartments with use of kitchen, BYO sleeping bag, RO: DBL €55–60, TRP €70–80, QUAD €85–95, set of linens €5 per person, final cleaning €35–50 per apartment. Booking 1–2 days prior.
RIO CONCO: B&B Rio Conco, riverside, t. +39 334-14.34.529 (Francesca) / 348-05.64.241 (Sofia), rioconco@gmail.com, 1 room, SGL use €60, DBL €80, TRP €100, tent €13 per person, use of kitchen.
PRATI DI MUGNANO: B&B Prati di Mugnano, Via Vizzano 6, t. +39 051-84.11.09 / 348-73.39.928 (Luciano) / +39 340-58.48.685 (Loredana), pratidimugnano@gmail.com, 2 bedrooms, SGL €65, DBL €90, TRP €135.
VIA COLLIVA: Glamping Il Balcone di Lali, Via Colliva 14, t. +39 051-05.40.741 / 339-52.48.847, ilbalconedilali@gmail.com, campsites and tents with beds (max 10 people), facilities and hot shower outdoors, per person B&B €25 glamping, campsite, dinner and laundry upon request €15. At [1.6] cross the local road (SP) and keep walking for 2.5km along Via Colliva.
BADOLO: B&B Nova Arbora, t. +39 051–84.75.81 / 347–31.68.937 (Donatella) info@novarbora.com, 12 bed capacity, in dorm room, bed linen included €43–48, DBL €110–125, pitch €15–18 per person. Shuttle bus to the Antica Hostaria Rocca Di Badolo (dinner booking: t. +39 051-84.75.06, closed on Mondays).
MONTE ADONE: Piccola Raieda Farm
Stay, at the foot of Monte Adone, t. +39 335-59.37.535 (Luca) / +39 320-03.73.362 (Natascia), info@piccolaraieda.it,
B&B: DBL €80, TRP €100, QUAD €130–160, in dorm room B&B €25, HB €50, dinner option and tent pitch, open all year.
BRENTO: B&B Da Mara, Via Vallazza di Brento 9, t. +39 335-81.53.182 (Mara), monteadone1@gmail.com, 4 bedrooms and 1 dorm. Rates per person: B&B SGL €48, DBL/TRP €35, in dorm room
B&B linens included €27, BYO sleeping bag €24. At 100m from [2.1].
B&B Ai Piedi di Monte Adone, Via Monte Adone 19, t. +39 339-54.66.623 (Alice), aipiedidimonteadone@gmail.com, 3 rooms, B&B rates: SGL €38, DBL €70, each additional person €20.
B&B Bellatmosfera, Via Vallazza di Brento 1, t. +39 379-10.07.324 (Simona), beb. bellatmosfera@gmail.com, B&B: €35 in dorm room, €40 in private room, dinner option.
Ca’ di Mazza Farm Stay, t. +39 051-67.78.506 / 335-72.67.958 (Pamela), info@agriturismocadimazza.it, 3 apartments (3–5 bed capacity), B&B: DBL €100, each additional person €20, bungalow B&B €40–50 per person, tent pitch €8 + €6 per person. Takeaway dinner from partner business €20.50 (booking 1 day prior).
Circolo Monte Adone, Via dello Sport 1, t. +39 051-67.75.125 / 328-78.12.255, monteadonecircolo@gmail.com, tent pitch on the sports ground with facilities/showers available, bar open in the evenings (summer), Trattoria Monte Adone at 200m (t. +39 051-67.75.126 / 348-90.02.530, closed on Tuesdays).
In this first stage, you will hike from the Po Valley to the foothills of the Apennines. As soon as you leave Bologna’s metropolitan area, you will be surrounded by nature. With few fountains and no dining options beyond the city, stock up before leaving.
From Bologna Centrale (+1.4km) Officially, the Via degli Dei departs from Piazza Maggiore, but if you have reached the city by train and want to set off right away, you can follow this directions. Exiting the station, cross Piazza Medaglie d’Oro and reach Viale Pietramellara, then bear left along the footpath. After 120m, at the traffic light, cross Viale Pietramellara and take Via Indipendenza straight ahead. Follow it for 1km, until you reach the intersection with Via Rizzoli. Cross over and you will arrive in Piazza Maggiore.
From Piazza Maggiore From the Fountain of Neptune, facing the Basilica of San Petronio and Palazzo d’Accursio, the seat of the town hall, on your right, cross the square bearing right and enter Via D’Azeg-
lio, an elegant pedestrian zone where at No. 15 singer Lucio Dalla used to live. At the end of the street, bear right onto Via de’ Carbonesi; after 150m, passing the Church of San Paolo Maggiore, follow Via Collegio di Spagna on the left. After 50m, the road curves to the right and, 150m further on, it reaches Via Saragozza. Bear right and follow it all the way, for 600m, until you reach Porta Saragozza [1.1]. At the traffic light, cross Viale Pepoli (cyclists should keep to the centre of the avenue and continue along the cycling path on the right) and follow the Portico of San Luca ahead of you (the longest portico in the world: 3796m with 666 arches), which leads you to the sanctuary of the same name, overlooking the city. The arches are numbered, so you only need to glance at them from time to time to get an idea of how far you still have to go. After 1.6km, you will reach the Meloncello Arch where the portico passes above Via Porrettana; from here to San Luca, the route turns into a steep climb amongst ever-expanding views over BOLOGNA . After 2km, you will reach the SANCTUARY OF SAN LUCA , for centuries the most important place of pilgrimage for the people of Bologna, who climb here to venerate a Marian icon regarded as the city’s protector.
After visiting the sanctuary, descend the stairway and exit through the driveway overlooking the Nasalli Rocca Square. Bear left onto Via di Monte Albano, which offers a magnificent view of Bologna’s foothills. After 550m, on the right and next to a gate (at No. 9), follow the Sentiero dei Bregoli [1.2], a historical pilgrimage path between Casalecchio and San Luca, peppered with the Stations of the Cross. Walk slightly downhill, on a dirt track for 200m; at the junction past Station IX, take trail 112/A on the left, then follow the CAI 900 signage and continue downhill for 800m, amongst broom bushes and beautiful views of the Reno Valley .
Reach the sealed road in front of the Montagnola di Sotto Farm and bear right, walking downhill (the road to the left leads to the Montagnola di Mezzo Holiday Home) and after 200m you will reach a small intersection. Follow a path through the meadows ahead and, after 400m, bear left onto the sealed Via Panoramica. Continue for 500m; just before the road starts to climb, a sign on the right points to a shared bridge over the Reno River [1.3] 200m ahead, where the trail rejoins the cycling route. This option is preferable when it rains and the route along the Reno River floodplain becomes impassable because of the mud and large puddles. In this case follow the cycling route up to [1.5]. However, in the dry season keep hiking along Via Panoramica, which, as you ascend, turns into an unsealed road crossing a small clearing with benches, before continuing on the right and heading into the forest. Following the CAI 112 trail markers, keep walking for 700m, until you reach the banks of the Reno, then follow the path for another 2.6km along a path across the entire river basin area, amidst a vegetation so lush, you forget you are just a few kilometres from Bologna. Emerging onto a gravel lane [1.4], continue straight alongside the Reno for 1.8km, up to the San Gherardo Nature Reserve, at the end of which
a stone marker commemorates the Nazi Massacre of Rio Conco. From this point on, the road is sealed and continues straight for 1km, before bearing right and reaching a stop sign [1.5] near VIZZANO . Here, it rejoins the cycling route.
Bear left onto Via Vizzano, following the directions to Sasso Marconi (bearing right instead leads to the Vizzano Bridge after 500m, with Palazzo de’ Rossi just beyond). After 250m you will reach a beautiful lookout over the Reno River. After 2km, upon reaching the local road (SP) [1.6], bear right towards Sasso Marconi; after 200m, just past a yellow house, pass a barrier on the left and follow the CAI trail 122A/B (cyclists should continue straight ahead). After 70m, at a small junction, take trail 122A on the right, which climbs into a dense forest. After 700m, you will reach the Prati di Mugnano.
Keep walking along the B&B’s access lane, then take a path on the left, following the directions to Mugnano di Sopra. Walk through the forest for 600m, including a few steep sections, until you reach a small, cypress-lined lane [1.7]. This is where the trail rejoins the cycling route. Bear left, still walking uphill, past the courtyard of a rustic house and continue along trail 122B on a comfortable unsealed road that immediately enters the forest. The route gradually ascends through a magnificent oak grove. Before emerging into the Commenda clearing, bear left on trail 122 to Monte del Frate. After 200m, you will reach the unsealed Via delle Orchidee, then keep left and continue for 2km, gently downhill through the forest, until you reach the local road (SP) [1.8] where you bear right. Walk past the Botanic Gardens / B&B Nova Arbora and, 100m ahead, take the unsealed Via delle Valli on the left. Walk uphill for 600m; at the top [1.9] bear right to rejoin trail 122 to Monte del Frate; the first section runs parallel to a dirt road which you should not
SANCTUARY OF SAN LUCA. For centuries a place of pilgrimage.
Pilgrimage to San Luca
A 15th-century legend states that the priests of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople gave a Greek pilgrim named Euthymius an icon of the Madonna and Child painted by Luke the Evangelist, to be taken to the Guardia Hill overlooking Bologna. The hermit walked to Bologna, where he was welcomed by celebrating citizens who accompanied the icon up the mountain and, in that place, erected a shrine in its honour. It is more likely that a shrine was built on the hill in 1194 to safeguard a Byzantine Marian icon which was already an object of popular worship. In any case, what is certain is that, due to the many miracles attributed to it, devotion to the sacred image grew steadily over time. One of the best known miracles is that of the rain. It is said that in 1433, the spring was so wet that it threatened to ruin the crops. To avoid the risk of famine, it was decided to carry the icon into the city and ask for grace to stop the rain. As soon as the Madonna and Child entered Bologna through Porta Saragozza, the rain stopped instantly and people proclaimed it a miracle. Since then, the procession takes place every year on the fifth Saturday after Easter, when thousands of devotees from Bologna celebrate the journey of the Madòna ed San Lócca, who has been protecting Bologna for over eight centuries.
follow. The wide trail goes up into the forest and, after 800m, reaches a junction, where you bear left, following trail 110 to Brento and Monte Adone. Cross the Monte del Frate Plateau and continue to the junction for Monte Adone [1.10].
The direct route through the village of Brento is 2km shorter with 150m less elevation gain; in this case, keep going straight, along the flat trail 110A and skipping Monte Adone (follow the cycling route in the next stage). However, if you prefer to go past Monte Adone (well worth it: you can enjoy one of the most stunning views of the entire Via degli Dei), bear right and follow the directions for trail 110, then continue along the next stage.
ALTERNATIVE CYCLING ROUTE. The cycling route overlaps with the hiking trail to Porta Saragozza [1.1]; here, stay in the middle of Viale Pepoli and keep walking, bearing right, along a beautiful tree-lined cycling path, the ‘cyclists ring road’. 700m ahead, bear left onto Via Sabotino and follow the cycling path leading to Casalecchio. Keep going straight for 1.3km, through various pedestrian crossings, until you reach the Certosa [1.1.1], Bologna’s monumental cemetery. Go past the Portico of San Luca and continue along the cycling path for 1.9km, with the Reno Canal always on your left, until you reach Croce di Casalecchio. Here, the path leaves the canal and crosses Via Panfili. Continue for 300m, as far as the end of the cycling path past a hydroelectric power station. Bear left onto Via Corsica and, after 80m, take the shared path on the right, along the narrow Sauro lane. Once you reach Via Canonica, bear left and, without taking the Porrettana main road, continue along the
cycling path on the right. Follow the Reno River for 750m until you reach the traffic light on Via Porrettana. Cross the main road at the pedestrian crossing. A short, slightly uphill 100m lane leads to the entrance of the Parco della Chiusa [1.1.2]
From the avenue lined with horse chestnut trees, access the park passing the ruins of Villa Talon and, at the lock, take the path running along the Reno River. After 1.3km, at a small junction in the forest, follow the directions to Via della Lana e della Seta, crossing the shared bridge,[1.3] then continuing on the left, along a sealed private lane. Walk past two barriers and at the third, which displays a “no entry” sign for pedestrians and cyclists, bear right onto a path that runs alongside a pond for recreational fishing. At the end of the pond, pass a barrier of concrete cubes, followed by a green gate and a sign for the Bacino Reno Vivo project. Here, take the unsealed cycling path running alongside a second lake. After 800m, the unsealed road curves to the right and ends next to a sealed road before a BASF warehouse. Do not follow the sealed road; instead, continue straight along the dirt track. Go through a small tunnel, then skirt the BASF car park. Continue for 1.3km, along an avenue lined with huge plane trees, then bypass Palazzo de’ Rossi and arrive at a sealed lane where you bear right, going uphill for 200m, then at the stop sign bear left onto Via Vizzano. Bear left again and follow the directions to the San Gherardo Nature Reserve, then cross the captivating suspension bridge of VIZZANO over the Reno, and continue for 600m, until you reach the houses of Vizzano [1.5]. Bear right along the walking trail, following the directions to Sasso Marconi and continuing for another 2km, until you reach an intersection with the local road (SP) [1.6]. Here, separate from the hikers once again and bear right. After 300m, as you exit a bend in the road, take a steep unphill road on the left (directions to B&B Prati di Mugnano). Continue until you reach a small car park and past a barrier, then keep going uphill, along a gravel road that after 650m merges with the hiking path [1.7], which you follow until the end of this stage.
What to see
Bologna There are so many things to see in the capital of Emilia-Romagna that I will only suggest the unmissable highlights, leaving a more comprehensive description to a specialised guide. Any visit must begin in PIAZZA MAGGIORE , the city’s living room and heart, overlooked by the BASILICA OF SAN PETRONIO , one of Italy’s preeminent examples of Gothic architecture. Its construction commenced in the late 14th century and was completed in the 17th century, so that the building complex would not exceed the size of the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican. The bottom section of the façade is clad in marble. The interior is grand, with 11 side chapels housing remarkable artworks,
ADONE
while the apse and the presbytery feature two Renaissance organs. The square is also overlooked by the 13th-century PALAZZO RE ENZO , named after the son of Frederick II, who died there a prisoner in 1272, and the PALAZZO DEL PODESTÀ from the same era, remodelled with Renaissance lines in the 15th century. Not too distant is the grandiose BASILICA OF SAN DOMENICO , originally built in the 13th century and seat of the Dominican order. Inside, a marble ark preserves the mortal remains of Saint Dominic de Guzmán.
Not to be missed, THE BASILICA OF SANTO STEFANO “ALLE SETTE CHIESE” is probably the most original place in the city. Built on the ruins of an ancient pagan temple, it was conceived as a copy of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem; over the centuries it underwent successive extensions, resulting in the construction of as many as seven buildings of worship, all embedded into one another.
Finally, among the most significant testaments to the Middle Ages are the two towers, which have become the symbol of Bologna: the TORRE GARISENDA , from the 11th century, and the TORRE DEGLI ASINELLI , built slightly later, both conceived as guard towers.
Sanctuary of San Luca This is an important place of pilgrimage for the city of Bologna, located on Colle della Guardia, where an ancient female hermitage founded in 1194 once stood. The current building, built between 1723 and 1757, on the site of a former 15th-century church, is an elliptical building capped by a dome, with two protruding lateral tribunes and a loggia. The interior features a cross-in-square floor plan with six chapels steeped in stuccoes and paintings. Behind the high altar, two staircases lead to the niche where the image of the MADONNA AND CHILD is kept; tradition attributes the work – brought from Constantinople by a pilgrim – to Saint Luke.
Vizzano Along the hiking path, just past the San Gherardo Nature Reserve, a stone marker commemorates the Massacre of RIO CONCO . There, on 8 September 1944, the Nazis slaughtered 15 civilians in retaliation for the death of two German soldiers, who were killed by the partisans. Along the cycling route, on the Reno’s opposite bank is PALAZZO DE’ ROSSI , a prestigious 15th-century building comprising a stately home, a hamlet, barns and stables. A few hundred metres away is the captivating SUSPENSION BRIDGE OF VIZZANO , which replaced the ferries that had been in service between the banks of the Reno until 1930. Destroyed in April 1945 and rebuilt four years later, it was renovated in 1995.
