Contrafforte Pliocenico - Città metropolitana di Bologna

Route
1 Monte Mario and Prati di Mugnano
asparagus, holly and juniper. The track, at
times less visible, passes near a large Atlantic
cedar and a couple of beautiful downy oaks
(Quercus pubescens), through a clearing
created for the passage of a power line,
then goes back through the woods.
The slopes of Monte Mario (466 m) are equipped with headland paths and tracks
that allow hikers to follow different routes of various lengths and levels of difficulty,
all circular and looping back through the large Prati di Mugnano public park. The
main loop, after crossing through the grounds of an old noble villa, continues up
to the top of the mountain along the scenic ridge overlooking the plunging west
wall of the buttress. Two easier variants, accessible to everyone, are those that go
through the dense wood covering the northern slopes of the mountain. Another
alternative route, a little longer, descends from the ridge to the village of Battedizzo
to then climb up the western wall of the mountain, with some more exposed and
demanding sections, to then rejoin the main route at the southern end of the Prati
di Mugnano park. Along all paths there are natural and historical elements of great
importance. Some sections of the trails can be muddy in rainy periods and extra
caution is always advised when traveling the sections along the ridge.
2 Downstream from the path, partly
TThe rock face of Monte Mario above Battedizzo.
> Departure point Sasso Marconi (103 m) > Highest point Monte Mario (466 m)
> Length 9 km > Duration 3.30 hours
The route starts at the railway station in
Sasso Marconi, reached by train on the
Bologna-Porretta line but also features a
large car park. Once having exited into Via
Ponte Albano, you go down to the right,
cross the bridge over the Reno river, and
turn left into the busy Via Vizzano. Once
you pass under the highway, you cross
the street, using caution, and little further
ahead to the right, you will find the directions for the Reserve and the sign for Trail
122, which goes into the woods (102
m) to the left of the Rio della Fornace.
Just before that, on the other side of the
street, there is parking space for a few
cars (from this departure point the route is
shortened by about 1.5 kilometers).
1
Riserva Naturale
Contrafforte Pliocenico
2
ENGLISH VERSION
Hiking map scale 1:25.000
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7
All trails can be hiked within the Reserve and nearby
grow on the slope (this part of the route
skirts around the ancient estate of Villa La
Quiete, extending over a large portion of
the slope, which is then crossed for several
kilometers almost up to the ridge).
After about a hundred meters, before the
small wooden crossing over the stream at a
fork in the trail, you go up to the right along
Trail 118 towards Ca’ Nova. After passing
a short steep section with steps, the trail
crosses a secondary narrow ridge marked
by a row of European black pines and
continues toward a young oak wood, with
many flowering ashes (manna ashes) and,
in the undergrowth, prickly patches of wild
1 The cool forest of black poplars, black
Description and illustration of 4 circular routes
alders, elder and hazel trees along the
banks of the Rio della Fornace blends into a
mixed oak wood that climbs back up the
slopes of the valley. In the undergrowth,
you can recognize the distinctive branch-like
stems of horsetails and the bent clumps of
sedge, with their typical leaves with triangular sections. Along the side of the path you
will find some great examples of honey
locust and other ornamental plants that
Tourist information and useful numbers
Edited by Fondazione Villa Ghigi
4
6
5
hidden by vegetation, is a centuriesold and majestic turkey oak (the diameter
of the trunk is approximately 1.5 m). This
species of turkey oak (Quercus cerris) is
easily recognizable by the characteristic
wirey curled scales that cover the dome
of the acorns and surround the buds at
the ends of the branches. The turkey oak
is a wild plant that grows in hillside
forests, also used for ornamental and
reforestation purposes.
Once you have passed some more old
Atlantic cedars and a large mulberry tree,
you come to an old country track in a
wide meadow, turn to the left, go uphill,
where you can find other specimens of
turkey oak on the edge of the woods.
A little further ahead, after following a
section exposed to the sun, you overlook
the deep, wooded valley of the Fosso
della Nova, and going past another fine
oak, you come to a grassy clearing a
short distance from Ca’ Nova. The trail
leads onto a dirt road, corresponding to
a secondary entrance of Ca’ Nova, which
you follow until you reach a crossroads
(240 m) bordered on one side by a quiet
corner of meadow surrounded by yews
and cypress trees and a large libocedrus.
On the right, a detour of about two
hundred meters leads to Villa La Quiete,
preceded on the left by a former stable.
3 Villa La Quiete, once called La QuerThe wooden crossing over the Rio Fornace.
ciola, belonged in the 1600s to
Domenico Albani and later to his brother
Francesco (1578-1660), a popular Bolog-
SService Building at Villa La Quiete.
4 From Monte Mario, in particular from a
TThe Setta valley from the saddle of Monte Mario.
A view of Villa La Quiete.
nese painter, a contemporary of Guido Reni,
who embellished the building and the
beautiful surrounding park. After several
owners, it was then purchased by the
Malvasia family. The main building is surrounded by a dense garden with fir trees,
Atlantic cedars, horse chestnuts and other
plants. Near the entrance stood an ancient
chapel, now rebuilt. Old cypress trees, stone
pine trees, hackberry trees and honey locust
still characterize the avenues that ran
through the spacious park, now overgrown,
and sketch the outline of the old property
(during the Second World War both the villa
and green area suffered heavy damages).
Variant for Prati di Mugnano
From the crossroads, located a few kilometers from the point of departure, you turn
off to the left onto a variant (Trail 118b),
which, without climbing up onto the ridge
of Monte Mario, goes directly to the Prati
di Mugnano and reaches the Piazza Farm,
shortening the route by about 1.5 kilom-
eters. From the intersection, you go up
the paved road that leads to Ca’de’ Boschi,
skirting the garden of Ca’ Nova, and then
leading onto the path that starts at the
side of a gate and, going along beside a
fence, goes straight into the woods. At
a fork in the trail, it continues straight on
and proceeds halfway up, following the
morphology of the slope and crossing the
stream beds of some shady valleys (where
the trail is narrow and the ground is loose
or crumbling, you should pay attention).
The trail continues through a beautiful
natural wood, rich in species of botanical importance, with a composition that
changes gradually depending on exposure.
Stretches of mixed oak woods with flowering ash, Montpellier maple, Italian buckthorn, Cytisophyllum sessilifolium, broom,
viburnum, and wild asparagus, all growing
in the areas near the rivers and streams,
together with species typical of cool shady
places, predominantly hornbeam, chestnut, hazel, European spindle, some rare
holly bushes, and in the undergrowth,
hellebores, anemones, primroses, knotted
crane’s-bill (Geranium nodosum), sage of
the woods, Solomon’s seal and Turk’s cap
lily. At the ravine of the Cava is a charming little waterfall and a more extensive
wetland in the shadow of hornbeam and
chestnut trees. Growing on the rocky cliffs
are algae, liverworts, mosses and ferns,
while in the wet sand you can often make
out the footprints of a wild boar. After
having crossed a track on the right and the
next track on the left, you reach a wide
grassy headland path, lined with black
poplars, which ends beside the group of
country buildings in Piazza.
From the crossroads, the main route continues along Trail 118, which goes straight
uphill along a dirt lane flanked by mortarless stone walls, and after a curve, passes
under a beautiful brick arch, the remains
The aqueduct to Villa La Quiete.
An Italian stone pine clinging to the rock.
A
Red lily (Lilium croceum).
TTurk’s cap lily (Lilium martagon).
main route in the Traversata delle cinque
valli, with some exposed sections that
can be very difficult if the ground is wet)
and you can choose between continuing
along the main route or two interesting
alternatives.
of track of the main route, you go left
again on almost level ground through
the woods (keeping on Trail 118a), crossing a long stretch of abandoned chestnut
grove, to finally reach a crossroads where
the track joins Trail 110.
Variant through the woods
Variant for Battedizzo
Those who don’t wish to tackle the climb
to Monte Mario can follow the wide
path (Trail 118a) that continues to the
left with fairly gentle slopes, again in the
shade of the forest. The variant, similar
in length to that of the main route and
rather evocative, goes through a cool,
wild-looking wood, particularly because
of the many fallen tree trunks, and has
a dense undergrowth with rare herbaceous plants. On the sandy floor you
The detour, which prolongs the route by
about half a kilometer, provides, from
the base, a lovely view of the south-west
wall of the mountain. You continue along
Trail 118, which descends from the saddle to a young oak wood, and quickly
arrives at some houses. Following the
access road to the houses, you pass a
gate and come to the small cemetery of
Battedizzo, where you turn left to reach
the small church dedicated to S. Martino
Contrafforte Pliocenico Nature Reserve
The reserve, which is approximately
20 kilometers from Bologna, can be
reached both from the city and from
Sasso Marconi, Pianoro and Monzuno,
along pleasant hillside roads. From Bologna you can follow the Savena valley
road up to Pian di Macina and then the
secondary road SP 58, which goes up to
Badolo. A more scenic alternative is the
road that passes through Sabbiuno and
Pieve del Pino and goes to Badolo. From
Pianoro you can go up to Brento, at the
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F. Ren
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Pian di Macina
Sasso Marconi
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Rules of conduct for hikers
• The trails generally may be traveled
only on foot from sunrise to sunset
• It is forbidden to collect or damage plants, soil, rocks, minerals and
fossils
• It is forbidden to pick mushrooms
and woodland products. Gathering
truffles is permitted, limited to the
zone 2 of the reserve, only for permit holders and based on the methods dictated by specific regulations
• Do not stray from the marked trails
• Use extreme caution along the
ridges and in other exposed parts
Hiking in the Contrafforte Pliocenico
It is very important to respect the prohibition regarding not leaving the marked
trail, for safety reasons that should not
be underestimated, both for hikers and
for the protection of the more sensitive
ecosystems, such as rock walls (important nesting sites for birds ) and many
of the stream gorges (ideal shelters for
rare species of amphibians).
Bologna
Pieve
del Pino
Websites
www.provincia.bologna.it/ambiente/contrafforte
www.parks.it/riserva.contrafforte.pliocenico
www.ermesambiente.it/wcm/parchi/parchi/
riserva_naturale_contrafforte_pliocenico.htm
vww.sentieriweb.regione.emilia-romagna.it
ferent areas of the reserve and centred around the principal peaks of the
Contrafforte Pliocenico. The routes, all
of which are loops (with three variations in Route 1), depart from the closest villages to the reserve and allow
the hiker to reach and appreciate most
of its natural and historical treasures.
Obviously, one can
hike shorter sections
of the routes, reverse the directions, or
venture deeper into
the territory along
CAI trails that are not
included in the suggested routes.
The CAI trails, however, are also variously
used for longer hikes
that pass through
the area of the reserve, such as the Traversata delle Cinque
Valli (Crossing of the
Five Valleys), the Via
degli Dei (Trail of the Gods) and the Via
dei Santuari (Trail of the Shrines). The
various segments can also be rearranged to organize theme hikes, based on
the geology, botany, and history of the
area, and so on (perhaps in some cases,
referring to the significant points indicated on the map).
foot of Monte Adone, or take the SP 65
Futa to Livergnano. From Sasso Marconi, following Via Ganzole, you reach
the Prati di Mugnano park, whereas if
you travel along Via Setta for a couple
of kilometers, this turns onto the SP 58
which goes to Badolo. The SP 36 Val
di Zena skirts around the most eastern
edge of the reserve. For those coming
from further away, the Sasso Marconi
exit of the A1 highway is less than a
kilometer from the road to Badolo.
na
Casalecchio
di Reno
Monteveglio
Provincia di Bologna - Assessorato Ambiente - Servizio Pianificazione Paesistica. Coordination: Giuseppe De Togni.
© Provincia di Bologna 2011.
Edited by Fondazione Villa Ghigi. Text: Ivan Bisetti. Contributions: Mino Petazzini. Photographs: Province of Bologna Archives,
Ivan Bisetti, Ornella De Curtis, Francesco Grazioli, Marco Sacchetti, William Vivarelli.
Translation: Simmetrie and partners s.r.l. Hiking Map: Eliofototecnica Barbieri. Schematic Map: Elvezio Tiboni.
Graphic design: Sandri Carlotti Adv. Editorial Coordination: Mino Petazzini.
Printing: Grafiche Zanini, Anzola Emilia (BO).
The Reserve territory is crossed by a
network of secondary roads, in addition
to the narrow and picturesque paved
roads that connect the few localities
near the Contrafforte Pliocenico, sometimes with wonderful views of its steep
walls. This network includes ancient dirt
roads and trails that were traditionally used to reach the
historic sites and hilltops, or for travelling
along the scenic ridge.
The network of hiking
trails in the protected
area has recently been
restored in collaboration with the Bologna
section of the CAI (Italian Alpine Club). The
network of trails, the
only viable and usable
ones, marked with the
classic white-red CAI
markings, indicating
the route number, the
closest town (above),
the final destination (below) and possible long range routes (on the top
arrow tip). The reorganization of the
network of trails and footpaths led, in
addition to the closure of a number of
unreasonable and in some cases downright dangerous trails and tracks, to a
complete renovation of the trail signs
system, which now includes information panels on the reserve, its trails and
related conduct rules, the installation
of fences, signs and other devices to
prevent hikers from using particularly
problematic or sensitive areas from an
environmental perspective, and various
maintenance operations for the trails.
The hiking map offers four routes on
the CAI network of trails, covering dif-
A colourful moth (Arginnis spp.).
The Rocca di Badolo and, further away, Monte Adone.
Information
Riserva Naturale Contrafforte Pliocenico
Headquarters Provincia di Bologna - Servizio
Pianificazione Paesistica - via S. Felice, 25 40122 Bologna - tel. 051 6598645 / 6598477
[email protected]
www.provincia.bologna.it/ambiente
bishop (256 m), across from a parking
lot and a small green area with children’s
playground equipment (Battedizzo can
be reached by a detour from Via Badolo
and can also be an alternative departure
point for the climb to Monte Mario).
Alongside the church, Trail 118 climbs
steeply towards the wall of sandstone and
continues for a stretch along rock, some
of which is a bit exposed and challenging,
before entering the woods and passing
the remains of an old stone house. The
route continues around the side of the
slope. Along the way you can see spontaneously seeded young stone pines clinging to the rocks, outcrops dotted with
helichrysum and wonderful views over the
valley and the top of Monte Mario. After
going along a narrower stretch which
runs beside a small valley, you reach the
intersection with Trail 110 which goes
to the right towards the Raibano creek.
Going uphill to the left, however, you
quickly come out into a large clearing and
the trail reconnects to the main route.
vantage point just below the summit,
which you find on the way down, you can
see Setta valley below along with the whole
mountain ridge included in the Parco Storico
Regionale Monte Sole (Historic Monte Sole
Regional Park). Around the summit, and
along the ridge, grow the typical rupestrian
vegetation and many stone pine trees. The
“pinewood of Battedizzo”, once the object of
botanical studies, inasmuch as it was planted
near the end of the 1700s by a local landowner for the production of pine nuts, is
striking evidence of the character of the
Mediterranean microclimate which is found in
the area of the Contrafforte Pliocenico Nature
Reserve. Between the autumn of 1944 and
the spring of 1945, the buttress was one of
the bulwarks of the German defensive line
(you can still see traces of trenches and posts).
How to get there
ago), when today’s Po Valley was still an
open and deep sea, at the foot of the
Apennine mountain range which had
already, for the most part, emerged. The
landforms shaped by erosion, and particularly by wind, created pinnacles, cliffs,
canyons and grottoes, and various and
contrasting environments such as those
for Mediterranean plants on the sunny
rock faces, while on the gentler northern
slopes, covered by woods, we find beech,
yew, holly and other species typical
of mountain areas. In addition to the
peregrine falcon, which is the reserve’s
symbol, the walls of the Contrafforte are
a nesting place for the lanner falcon, and
there are many reports of other important
wildlife species: primarily the northern
spectacled salamander (Salamandrina
perspicillata), a rare amphibian that lives
in cool and wet environments. Over
the centuries, but especially after heavy
bombings during the Second World War,
when the German troops also used the
Contrafforte as a last defensive bastion
against the advancing Allied armies, the
medieval castles, villages and churches
were nearly lost. However, the territory
still offers some elements of interest, such
as the unusual “rupestrian” houses of
Livergnano, built up against and partially
dug into the walls of sandstone.
ta
The reserve, established in 2006, is the
largest (757 hectares) in Emilia-Romagna
and includes portions of the municipalities
of Sasso Marconi, Pianoro and Monzuno.
It is part of the Site of Community Importance “Contrafforte Pliocenico” (SIC-ZPS
IT4050012), which extends over 2,629
hectares and is part of the Natura 2000
Network, the European Union’s large
ecological network. In the Contrafforte
reserve, there are as many as 11 types of
habitat, 28 species of animal and a rare
orchid of Community interest. The protected area preserves the majestic rocky
faces with their characteristic and dramatically vertical walls and their golden colour. The cliffs extend for approximately 15
kilometers out to the valleys of the rivers
and creeks Reno, Setta, Savena, Zena and
Idice, culminating in the peaks of Monte
Mario (466 m), Rocca di Badolo (476 m),
Monte del Frate (547 m), Monte Adone
(654 m), Monte Castellazzo (481), Monte
Lolla (476 m) and Monte Rosso (591
m), to just beyond the boundary of the
protected area, in the scenic Monte delle
Formiche (638 m), where the shrine of
S. Maria di Zena stands on its peak. The
sandstone rocks of Contrafforte, which
preserve important fossils, were originally
settled on the bottom of a small sea gulf
during the Pliocene age (5-2 million years
From the saddle you continue, to the left,
just a few meters from the wide track of
the variant that runs through the woods of
Monte Mario, and immediately go to the
right, taking Trail 110, narrow and exposed
in some stretches, and which ascends quickly
to the top of the hill, winding between low
groups of downy oak, flowering ash, black
hornbeam, juniper and broom that grow up
to the ledge of the steep south-west wall.
often see the footprints of wild boars
and deer, and in the spring you can hear
the birdsong of the blackcap, chaffinch,
chiffchaff and other birds. After leaving
behind another wide trail that goes left,
you continue to work your way around
the top of the hill and, at the side of the
path, you can see small recesses carved
into the rock and other signs of shelters
from the Second World War. Once you
reach a saddle and follow a short stretch
of duct-pipe that brought water to the villa
and fountains that adorned the garden.
Passing through a young oak wood, with
flowering ash and maples, there is a fascinating transition with sandstone rocks and
the path comes to the ridge near the saddle of Monte Mario (320 m) and a marvelous vantage point (in the foreground, the
confluence of the Reno river and the Setta
creek).There you cross Trail 110, which also
goes up from Sasso Marconi (used as a
• Wear appropriate clothing and shoes
• Do not light fires and prevent any
risk of fire
• Do not dump waste along the trails
(not even cigarette butts)
• Do not make bothersome noises
• Do not disturb wildlife
• Keep dogs on a leash
• Do not damage artifacts and signs
• Respect the homes, crops and other
activities of those living and working
in the reserve
• Report to the management any situation that might require action
From the summit of Monte Mario the
trail goes down to another saddle (393
m), where it joins the variant from the
forest. Leaving behind the other tracks
that are directed towards the wall, now
barred by fences, the path goes ahead
several tens of meters along level ground
and then climbs again to the right on
the scenic ridge, still following Trail 110
(signs for Commenda and Brento), and
disregarding the track that goes through
the thick wood on the northern side of
the hill.
5 The northern slope of Monte Mario,
scored by cool little valleys, is covered
with forests of white and black hornbeam,
downy oak, mountain and field maple, service tree and wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis), with extended stretches of abandoned
chestnut groves. The underbrush and shrubs
include hazel, European spindle, dogwood
and the evergreen spurge laurel (Daphne
Laureola), while in the undergrowth, following the end of winter, you can see the
blooming of snowdrops, common primroses,
wood anemone, liverwort (Hepatica nobilis),
Alpine squill, Solomon’s seal, Turk’s cap lily,
large yellow loosestrife, knotted crane’s-bill
and different species of orchid.
• Corpo di Polizia Provinciale
(Provincial Police Department)
329 7504977 (Sasso Marconi)
329 7504976 (Monzuno)
329 7504944 (Pianoro)
• CAI (Italian Alpine Club)
- Sezione di Bologna 051 234856
• GEV (Ecological Volunteer Guards)
- Guardie Ecologiche Volontarie di
Bologna 051 6347464
Access points to the reserve
Trails number (CAI reference)
Boundary of SIC/ZPS
Contrafforte Pliocenico
Area 1a - Climbing permitted
in this area
Area 1 - Area of great
natural interest
Area 2 - Agroforestry area of
interest
Bus
Information
Railway station
Bed & breakfast
Hotel
Restaurant
Camp site
Agri-tourism residence
Structures and sites to visit
er of the existence of the rural settlement of Commenda. Little remains of it
but some ruins which are almost completely surrounded by vegetation. In the wide
clearing a little further down, enlivened by
the blossoming broom in late spring, a
beautiful panorama of the other buttress
of Contrafforte opens up. You can recognize Rocca di Badolo, Monte del Frate and,
further in the distance, Monte Adone.
7 The Prati di Mugnano Park, which
Legend
910
6 Old cherry and fig trees are a remind-
the “Linea Gotica (Gothic Line)” project
showing the situation around Monte Mario
during the Second World War.
Emergency and useful numbers
• Vigili del Fuoco (Fire Department) 115
• Bologna Soccorso
(Ambulance and Medics) 118
• Soccorso Alpino Emilia-Romagna
(Emilia-Romagna Alpine Rescue)
800 848088
• Corpo Forestale dello Stato
(State Forest Patrol)
- Comando Provinciale di Bologna
800 841051 - 1515
You follow the trail for another 700 meters
along the ridge, where there is wild vegetation on one side and the dramatic landscape
of the valley on the other (including the new
highway entrance). At a crossroads (399
m) some signs and a bench indicate the
entrance to the Parco Agricolo Naturale dei
Prati di Mugnano (Natural Agricultural Park
of Prati di Mugnano), established in 1974 by
the City of Bologna in the territory of Sasso
Marconi on a part of the land of the vast
farming estate of Ca’ di Stellano. Continuing
on Trail 110, you soon come to a slight slope
up to the locality of Commenda (411 m),
the southernmost part of the route, 5 kilometers away from the start, in a meadow with
tables and benches for resting and shaded
by a group of black locust and elm trees.
Monkey orchid (Orchis simia).
M
Once you leave the grassy headlland path
on the left, which winds along the edge of
the clearing under Commenda, you reach a
crossroads where you leave Trail 110, which
descends towards the Raibano creek, and
continue to the left towards the north on
Trail 122. Disregarding a trail that branches
off to the right a little further ahead, the
route continues to descend towards a
wide headland path, alongside stretches
of woodland and open meadows with
grasses. On the sunny escarpment, you can
see yarrow, wild pea, and other traditional
herbs, colourful butterflies, grasshoppers, lizards, green lizards, and other small
animals. After a couple of bends in the
road you come to the Piazza farm (289
m), surrounded by cypress trees, where
you can admire a beautiful view over the
hills of Bologna, and the sanctuary of the
Beata Vergine di S. Luca. From Piazza, the
route descends on the right steeply along
an asphalt road which then turns into a dirt
road, flanked by a row of young oaks and
mixed hedges of hawthorn, field maple
and wild rose, and then passes some rest
areas and soon arrives at Mugnano di sopra
(243 m). Just before the large parking area
are the signs for Trail 122 and a board of
extends over more than 100 hectares,
has been for decades a traditional destination for outings from Bologna and neighbouring towns, also thanks to the restaurant near the parking lot. In addition to
extensive grassland, there are patches of
mixed oak trees and the remains of the old
chestnut groves, where such rare and protected species as snowdrops, red lily, Turk’s
cap lily and several types of orchid grow
(Orchis purpurea, O. simia, Cephalanthera
longifolia, Dactylorhiza maculata).
Directly after the restaurant, on the left,
almost in front of a large oak tree, you
come to the red and white indications for
Trail 122, and go down a wide grassy headland path, where you can admire an extensive view of the last stretch of the Reno
Valley and the top of Monte Mario. Passing
a rest area under a canopy, you enter an
oak forest, with turkey oak, flowering ash,
juniper, viburnum, sessile-leafed broom,
coronilla, fly honeysuckle and wild asparagus, which is up against a beautiful sandstone wall. In this section of the trail, which
is sometimes subject to small landslides,
during the descent caution should be exercised because of naturally eroded grooves
and steps. Continuing through the forest, it
becomes cooler and you can see shrubs of
dogwood, wild service trees, laureola plants
and hellebores, violets, lungwort, liverwort,
and dog’s tooth violet. After a bend, near
a large poplar (the diameter is about one
meter), you find a small bridge over the Rio
della Fornace, a little further on you come to
a fork which intersects with Trail 118 on its
first leg. From here, the trail makes a short
descent to Via Vizzano and you can continue on towards the railway station.
Route
2 Monte del Frate and Valle del Raibano
together with other birds of rocky habitats, find refuge in the most sheltered
cavities. It is not uncommon to see them
circling above the mountain.
The large loop of the route winds through a series of pleasant environments and
landscapes, including the panoramic ridge of Monte del Frate (547 m) and the
small valleys that become deeper behind the Rocca di Badolo (476 m), passing
some of the most naturalistically important places in the reserve. The route uses
highly visible trails and dirt roads, with few steep sections that may be slippery in
rainy periods and require some caution only along the ridge, where the track is
close to the edge of the vertical wall of Monte del Frate.
Lanner falcon (Falco biarmicus).
> Departure Badolo (378 m) > Highest point Monte del Frate (547 m)
> Length 7.8 km > Duration 3 hours
pean feather grass (in the summer, when
mature, its long silver spikes form delicate
feathery appendages that promote seed
dispersal).
4
The route begins in Badolo, which is
about 6 kilometers from the Sasso
Marconi highway exit, which now also
joins the Nuova Porrettana. From the
roundabout next to the toll booth, you
continue towards Sasso Marconi for a
short distance then turn right onto the
SP 58, which gives directions to the small
hamlet. The starting point is the little
church of S. Michele Arcangelo, where
there is parking for a limited number of
cars (6/7).
5
1 In this church today, rebuilt in 1976,
you can still see the small portions
which survived the heavy bombing of
the Second World War, which destroyed
the previous church, built in 1770 in
place of a sacred building dating from
the end of the 1300s.
The ancient chapel of the Madonna
della Rocca, located below the summit
of the mountain that dominates Badolo,
where there was once a fortified building, was also rebuilt after the war and
opened in 1980 (it is reached via a path
of less than half a kilometer and partly
carved into the rock, which you find
1
2
Route
3
2 The long vertical wall of Monte del
TThe church of Badolo and on the right, the Rocca.
3
along Via Badolo 150 meters before
coming to the church).
From the church you take Via Badolo
up, following the directions of Trail 110
that passes by Monte Adone and Brento.
After about 400 meters, after the intersection with Via Brento, you find a track
on the right, clearly visible, that climbs
the slopes of Monte del Frate. The trail,
which becomes immediately steep and at
times is cut directly into the rock, goes up
and through a typical mixed oak woods
with downy oak, flowering ash, shrubs
of juniper and sessile-leafed broom. At
the crossroads, you go left, disregarding the trail, now blocked, which goes
towards the steep cliff, and a bit further
ahead you find a beautiful vantage point
which overlooks the town of Badolo,
with the small church and cemetery, the
top of the Rocca di Badolo, and in the
background, the valley of the Setta creek
which flows into the Reno river. With one
last uphill climb, you reach the ridge: the
sunny meadow grassland is dotted with
rock roses and fumanas). An interesting
feature are the unusual tufts of Euro-
Monte Adone Loop
1 The hamlet’s small church, with a
belfry on the side, was built on the
initiative of Father Marella in 1959, again
dedicating the ancient sacred building,
bombed in 1944, to S. Ansano. There are
only a few ruined remains of the original
church in the Savena valley. The church
and the nearby Casa del Pellegrino (Pilgrim
House) were among the first buildings
constructed after the war, in the village
almost destroyed by bombings, and have
given new life to the village which, before
the war, was a small but active holiday
7
2
1
4
The route begins in Brento, which can be
reached from the valley of the Reno following Via Badolo up to the locality of the same
name, where you leave the SP 58 to turn
right in Via Brento. After about 3 kilometers
you come to a fork, and, taking a left on Via
Monte Adone, you are soon in the village.
Route
4
You can park in Via Castellazzo, which
begins on the right just past the church of S.
Ansano, near the restaurant Monte Adone.
From Pianoro, instead, you continue along
the valley floor of the Savena towards Loiano and after a couple of kilometers, on the
right, you see the directions for Brento.
TTree heath in bloom.
Around Monte Rosso
center. On the near plateau of Monte
Castellazzo at the bottom of the homonymous street, stood the ancient castle of
Brento, built by the Byzantines in the sixth
century to oppose the Lombard advance. It
was destroyed over the 1400s, and very
few traces remain.
From the intersection of Via Castellazzo,
you descend Via Monte Adone for
approximately 150 m, following the
signs for Trail 110, until, on the left, you
come to Via Vallazza, which goes up to
Wild pink (Dianthus sylvestris).
W
ful plateau where the sacred building is
located, rebuilt after the war as almost all
the buildings in the village were, and which
dominates a large portion of the Bolognese
hillside (with the sanctuary of the Beata
Vergine di S. Luca in the background).
The simple circular route around the slopes of Monte Rosso (591 m), which
starts at the highly unique village of Livergnano with its houses built into the
rock , offers beautiful views close to the impressive sandstone walls that tower
over Sadurano, and interesting views of the cool woods lining the northern side
of the cliffs. The route is mainly on scarcely shaded dirt roads and it is best not
to hike it at the hotter times of the day. Some caution should be exercised primarily along a narrow stretch of path through the woods on the eastern slope
of the mountain.
EEuropean feather grass and, in the background, Monte Adone.
numerous examples of fossil traces
of marine molluscs (generally shells of
gastropods and bivalves, often oysters)
that eloquently testify to the Contrafforte’s origins. On the escarpment, grow
the species typical of sunny environments such as downy oak, flowering ash,
Cytisophyllum sessilifolium, broom,
juniper, white rock rose (Helianthemum
apenninum), with the prostrate stem and
yellow flowers, and silvery gray patches
of helichrysum, a plant that gives off a
strong scent reminiscent of liquorice.
Continue the climb along a wide track,
marked by a deep groove in the middle,
and you reach a shadier section where
there are black hornbeams, some chestnuts, and in the undergrowth, the broad
fronds of bracken. After a couple of
curves, continue the climb up to a young
Rocca di Badolo, a thick broadleaved forest extends into the underlying
deep valley of the Raibano creek and
those of its two tributaries, the Anderlino
and Piva creeks, which descend down
the sides of the Poggio dell’Oca. This is
one of the most sensitive and valuable
environments in the Nature Reserve,
strictly controlled by the laws governing
the protected area, which provides
shelter to species of fauna and flora that
are of Community importance.
The beautiful wall of the Rocca di Badolo.
protruding directly from the walls of
Contrafforte, because of their partially “rupestrian” nature and their vivid colours, are
an example of spontaneous construction
almost unique in the Bolognese Apennines.
The old village, first documented in the
early 1200s, was subjected to heavy bombing from October 1944 until the spring of
1945, and the houses were rebuilt after the
war. The memory of the tragic event comes
up in many parts of the town and in the
small private museum “The Winter Line”
(located in Via della Chiesa and open to the
public on holidays or on request).
The
T houses of Livergnano.
From the square, after crossing the
street at the pedestrian crossing, you
walk another 600 meters on the main
road, taking great care at the curve,
before coming, on the left, to Via di
Alpine squill (Scilla bifolia).
5 A small spring flows at the base of
an ancient artifact in the shade of
hazel, hornbeams and poplars on the left
bank of the Raibano creek (whose waters
are partly hidden by sedges, horsetails
and patches of ground elder). In the
wooded slopes bordering the creek,
along with black hornbeam and hazel,
there is also beech, a species typical of
mountain forests. The undergrowth is
full of bells, anemones and other species
that offer beautiful blooms at the end of
winter. The rare red lily and Turk’s cap lily
are seen less frequently, blooming in
June and July.
The ascent to Badolo is immediately
steep, with sections of fence and a
few steps. You proceed into the forest accompanied by the murmur of
the Raibano waters, where you can
see immediately to your left a beautiful waterfall. Along the side of the
path, there are some beech trees, with
their characteristic smooth, gray trunk,
while in the undergrowth, among the
hellebores and violets, you can spot
the three-lobed leaves of the liverleaf
(which blooms in late winter) and the
paired ones of the Listera ovata, an
orchid with small inconspicuous greenish flowers that appear towards summer. A quick climb up takes you to a
fine rocky outcrop, at whose base is
another small spring that waters a small
flat area with patches of horsetails,
ferns and sticky sage. A little further
ahead, you exit the forest, and after
a narrower stretch of trail, a series of
caves carved into the rock on the right
and the ruins of a farmhouse, the trail
widens and soon reaches the small
cemetery of Badolo, within sight of the
church’s tower.
PPanorama from the top of Monte Adone.
coppice-wood with downy oak, black
hornbeam, flowering ash, sycamore
maple, dogwood, laburnum, and, in
the undergrowth, hellebore and violets,
until the next turn. Here the trail is visibly
rocky, and also crosses an unmarked
track that rises from the right (575 m).
3 At this point the sandstone layers
almost form a sequence of natural
steps. On the edge of the outcrops, you
creek, the rocky face of Contrafforte
Pliocenico appears in all its grandeur. On
the road down, the spectacular southern
wall of Monte Rosso dominates, while in
the background you can recognize the
Monte delle Formiche (638 m), with the
famous shrine of S. Maria di Zena on the
summit (every year around September 8,
when the birth of Mary is celebrated,
swarms of winged ants, after the nuptial
flight, go to the hilltop to die, a natural
phenomenon to which popular tradition
has attributed a miraculous character).
The trail descends quickly to a wide dirt
road at the foot of the sandstone walls.
Upstream of the road grows a mixed oak
woods with species typical of the sunny
slopes. On the escarpment in spring
there is blossoming broom, and in the
summer, you can see the beautiful red
flowers, gathered in small bunches at the
end of the long stem, of the Carthusian
pinks, and the purple spherical flowers of
N
Northern spectacled salamander
((Salamandrina perspicillata).
can see spots of tree heath, an evergreen shrub with pungent leaves,
which, in early spring is filled with small,
fragrant white flowers. Among the tufts
of grasses, in summer, the beautiful
blooms of Carthusian pinks (Dianthus
cartusianorum) stand out, with their
bunches of purplish flowers, and wild
pinks (D. sylvestris), with their scattered
flowers and serrated red or pink petals.
The path continues upwards, and on
sunny days, you can hear the rustling
of lizards. After a stretch of narrower,
shadier path, past a small clearing surrounded by low oaks and other beautiful clumps of tree heath, further ahead
you reach a broader grassy plain. In
spring and summer, it is dotted with
the blooms of pinks, Ferulago campestris, a showy umbellifer with a long
erect stem, pigeon scabious (Scabiosa
columbaria) and other herbaceous
plants that attract colourful butterflies
and other insects. At the edges of the
plain is a board illustrating the “Gothic
Line” project dedicated to Monte
the round-headed leeks. In the woodland below the road, you find mainly
black or yellow locust, hawthorn, elm
and field maple, and the service tree. In
some places, the wood gives way to
areas with broom, viburnum, and patches of sea buckthorn. At the side of the
road, every now and then, are beautiful
large oak trees. A couple of kilometers
from the departure point, you come to
the fork (410 m) leading to the group of
houses in Sadurano and continue straight
until you come to, just beyond, an
impressive sandstone tower.
3 The tower that appears above the
road shows in an exemplary manner
the sequence of layers that make up the
walls: there are very thick layers of conglomerates, with pebbles of various
shapes and colours (you can recognize
sandstone, limestone, gabbro, serpentine, jasper), which were created by fragments of eroded rock along the Pliocene
valleys and transported by streams down
to the beaches of the ancient gulf, to
which Contrafforte is a testimony. On the
side of the tower, you can compare two
characteristic types of oak of the reserve:
the evergreen holm oak, with leathery
glossy leaves, dark green on the upper
7
5
1
6
4
2
not to get too close to the precipice’s edge, you find a spectacular
vantage point. Looking south, on clear
days, the view sweeps to Monte
Cimone and the other Apennine
peaks. Oak woods are predominant
and some specimens of considerable
size of holm oak grow spontaneously,
along with juniper, broom and bladderpod (with its characteristic swollen
fruits that appear in summer). Beyond
the first trees you see, in the thick carpet of grasses, traces of posts and
paths of the Gothic Line. To the north,
the river valley of Favale deepens, its
banks covered with black hornbeams,
chestnuts and other vegetation typical
of cooler woods.
With a last, short climb you reach the
top of Monte Adone through a thicket
of downy oaks, where you can also see
holm oak and black hornbeam, whose
development is influenced by the very
windy position.
Apennine yellow-bellied toad (Bombina pachypus).
The sandstone tower.
side and gray on the bottom, and the
downy oak, with typically lobed leaves
and a fine down in the lower side (which
is also found on young twigs and gives
the plant its scientific name).
Once past the curve with the votive
aedicule, you disregard a road leading
down to the right and continue along
the heights. In the oak wood above are
a few young holm oak and Montpellier
maple trees, and shrubs of Cytisophyllum sessilifolium and coronilla, two
typical species of dry, sunny mountain
slopes that liven up the undergrowth
in spring with yellow flowers similar to
those of broom (the first being recognizable by groups of three small leaves,
which often do not have a stalk, the
second by the compound of 7-11 leaflets). Further along, you come to three
large oak trees at the side of the road
and later, shortly after the start of a
fence, you come to a crossroads near
the small village of I Sassi (396 m).
At this point we leave the dirt road
and go left along a path, still following
Trail 809. It runs alongside a cultivated
field, with the Monte delle Formiche
in front, then enters the wood and
quickly descends until it comes to a new
crossroad, at a large downy oak specimen (305 m) and, at this point, about
3 kilometers from the start, the descent
that characterizes the first part of the
route is almost end and you are about
to begin an ascent that will take you
back to the departure point in just over
4 kilometers. You leave Trail 809, which
leads to the river valley of Zena, and go
left on Trail 809a. After a last descent,
the steep climb begins up natural steps,
going around the slope, through a copse
of downy oak, turkey oak and flowering ash, with shrubs of broom, juniper,
blackthorn, dogwood, viburnum and
privet. After the first corner, the trail
you have a beautiful view of the wall
of Monte Rosso, on which dark green
Melanargia spp. on bramble flowers.
V
View from via Badolo onto the imposing Rocca.
Traversata delle Cinque Valli
This is a long hiking trail that goes
from Monteveglio to Ozzano Emilia,
crossing the entire reserve and touching the major heights of the Contrafforte Pliocenico. The project, developed by the Bologna section of the
CAI (Italian Alpine Club) in the late
1980s, was equipped in 2005, in the
middle of the trail (from Sasso Marconi to Monterenzio), with “stopping
places” and appropriate signs, marked
by the initials T5V, with a contribution from the Mountain Community
of Cinque Valli Bolognesi (which no
longer exists). The route in the Nature
Reserve, which can be done on foot
and, in some parts with different
paths, by mountain bike too, it is a
two day journey on foot with a stop
near Pianoro (for those who travel by
mountain bike, it takes just one day).
The trails mainly go along the ridge,
with some stretches more exposed and
demanding, and the rest on dirt and
paved roads. From Sasso Marconi you
take Trail 110, which goes directly up
to the saddle of Monte Mario, reaches
the top, goes through the Commenda
Farm ruins, descends into the Raibano
creek and then goes back up to Badolo through the woods. Beyond Badolo,
the route, still on Trail 110, goes along
the ridge of Monte del Frate, descends
to Campiuno and, again along the
ridge, rises to the top of Monte Adone
and then reaches the lower Brento
area. From here the route continues
down Trail 910 to the Savena valley
floor, climbs up the opposite side to
reach Livergnano. Using Via Bortignano (Trails 813 and 813a), the route
follows down to the valley of the Zena
creek (Trails 809a and 809) and once
beyond the boundaries of the reserve,
climbs back up to reach the summit of
Monte delle Formiche. An early publication regarding the Traversata was
promoted in 1990 by the Provincia di
Bologna, the CAI and Pangea. In 2007
a booklet was published, edited by A.
Soravia and S. Gardini, accompanied
by specific maps, which describes in
detail the route and the possible walking and mountain biking variants.
TThe Contrafforte between Monte del Frate and Monte Adone.
Via degli Dei
erectus), globularias with its trailing
stems, white rock rose and other rupicola species form the scattered vegetation that settles on the sandstone rocks.
In some points you can also find juniper
and sea buckthorn. On the opposite side
of the precipice grows a mix of black
hornbeam, flowering ash and downy
oak. In late spring, rare beautiful pink
flowers with purple veining also appear,
known as dittany (also called limonella,
for its characteristic scent).
White dittany (Dictamnus albus).
W
5 Two majestic towers of rock,
shaped by the elements, flank the
scenic summit of Monte Adone (654
m), which overlooks the valley of the
Setta and a large part of the Bolognese
Apennines. The more cemented sandstone layers, which protrude about
fifteen meters up from the line of the
towers, form a sturdy hat which has
protected the underlying rock from
erosion of the column. A young holm
oak and flowering ash grow there,
clinging to the larger tower, while
different rupicola species insinuate their
roots into the cracks of the wall.
A row of cypress trees and a large trellis
anticipate the end of the trail, which
leads onto a road near the group of
houses in Campiuno (471 m). Continuing along Trail 110, you disregard the
first dirt road that climbs to the right
and you take the path down, staying
right along the headdland path , past
a house and then along the side of an
orchard and between rows of walnut
trees (taking care not to disturb the
residents or damage the crops). At the
end of the descent, go up to the right
along a field and a fenced patch of
From the top you can quickly return to
Brento taking the path used to come
up, or go to the right continuing along
the ridge, still following Trail 110. Take
the trail down, exercising caution, for
about one kilometer along the edge
of the wall, which offers sweeping
views to the west and beautiful views
towards the lines formed by Monte
del Frate, Rocca di Badolo and Monte
Mario.
FFormation of liverwort (Hepatica nobilis).
This hiking trail leads from Florence to
Bologna in 4/6 stages, largely following
the ancient road that was once a connecting Transapennine route. The fanciful name
is linked to the various place names along
the path, such as Monte Adone (Mount
Adonis), Monte Venere (Mount Venus),
Monzuno (from Mons Juno) reminiscent
of the pagan gods. The old road ran past
Brento, Monzuno, Madonna dei Fornelli,
then the Stale pass (near Barberino, in Tuscany) and over the centuries was referred
to by various names: Via Romea, Via dei
Muli (Trail of the Mules), Via di Barberino,
or Via dello Stale, or, precisely, “Trail of the
Gods.” The hiking trail, designed twenty
forest. After passing a barred gate, you
disregard a path that goes down to the
right, and reach a wider road which you
follow to the right (Trail 110a), leaving behind Trail 110 which turns left
towards Monte del Frate. Nearby is the
entrance to the Centro Tutela e Ricerca
Fauna Esotica e Selvatica, dedicated
to the rescue, recovery and shelter of
animals that have been abandoned,
injured, or confiscated, mostly of tropical origin (the centre often houses lions,
tigers, monkeys and other animals
quite unusual to a setting such as the
Contrafforte Pliocenico). You take a
dirt road with various ups and downs,
partly exposed to the sun (Via Valverde),
accompanied by views of nearby crops
and, higher up, the wooded northern
slopes of Monte Adone. On either side
of the road that runs past some houses,
are patches of mixed woodland with
downy oak, flowering ash, Cytisophyllum sessilifolium, and other typical
species. In some points you can also see
examples of laburnum, service tree and
chestnut as well as some oaks of considerable size.
7 The forest comes closer to the road
and on the higher embankment are
species suited to shady slopes such as
black hornbeam, sycamore maple, laburnum, and hazel. On the rock, exposed
for a long stretch and humid due to
exposure to damp and run-off, are
elegant carpets of liverwort, primitive
vegetable organisms, similar to the moss
but with an appearance more like algae,
whose delicate and sensitive structures
can be appreciated only with close
observation. In the ravine below the
field, horsetails and giant horsetails stand
out, while in summer you can see water
hemp, yellow wort and spear-leaved
willowherb (with delicate pink flowers on
tall stems).
After about a kilometer you reach the
intersection with Via Vallazza, where you
can connect to the path that goes back
to Brento.
TThe beautiful rock face that overlooks the locality I Sassi.
becomes narrower and caution should
be exercised.
5 The sides of a very shady valley are
covered by an attractive wood, what
remains of a neglected old chestnut
grove, fairly extensive and with a consistent spontaneous renewal. The lower
shrubs include hazel and wild service tree
and in the undergrowth are bracken
ferns, hellebores, primrose, liverwort and
other species characteristic of cool shady
slopes.
Continuing on, the oak grove prevails,
and at the next turn of the mountain,
the path intersects Trail 813a, which to
the right, goes down to Zenarella. You
must, instead, turn left, going uphill,
and soon after, you reach a wider area
of outcrops and a rest area, enclosed
by a fence, which is equipped with
benches and used as a resting point
along the Traversata delle Cinque Valli.
To the north, there is a panoramic view
towards the hills of Bologna. You can
recognize the round peak, topped by
a large antenna, of Monte Paderno.
You continue on a wide level track that
quickly reaches the group of houses in
Casola (453 m) and you take the dirt
road, Via Bortignano, which continues to the left, uphill. The road, which
winds through all of the northern slope
of Monte Rosso, first goes around some
wide meadows, then gains altitude
after a couple of turns, and then goes
across a stretch of cooler woods. On
the higher side of the road, the layers of rock are clearly visible for a long
stretch and in the sandstone layers there
are still obvious deposits of pebbles.
Upstream from the outcrops you can
see a mixed wood of oak, but in the
cooler corners, there is often chestnut,
along with mountain maple, laburnum
and European spindle.
Dog’s tooth violet (Erytronium dens-canis).
D
7 The rural settlement of Bortignano,
finally transformed into a farm
house and barn in the late nineteenth
century, has a much older history. In the
architectures of the buildings, in fact,
you can still recognize part of the
church and convent of S. Maria di
Bortignano. The church, once part of
the parish of Gorgognano, in the mid1400s was entrusted to the Carmelites
of S. Martino di Bologna and at the end
of the 1500s became a popular parish,
This long hiking trail, which takes 4/6
days of walking, connects Bologna
to Prato, passing some of the most
impressive religious buildings in the
Apennines, from the Oratory of S.
Caterina on the top of Montovolo to
the lonely Santuario della Beata Vergine
delle Grazie di Boccadirio surrounded
by the woods of Baragazza, up to the
Abbey of S. Maria di Montepiano, now
in Tuscan territory. It was created by
the CAI sections of Bologna and Prato
in 2000, the year of the Jubilee. The
Trail’s route, marked with the initials
VS, only takes in a short section of the
Reserve, passing through the Prati di
Mugnano park as far as Commenda
and then following down to Battedizzo
to proceed beyond the Setta creek in
the direction of Monte Sole. A pamphlet is available for this Trail as well
(Edizioni Tamari), accompanied by specific maps, with detailed descriptions of
the main trail and possible alternatives.
TTestimony to the Second World War in Livergnano.
Buildings and places open to the public
stagnation encourages the presence
of species that prefer cool, damp environments. In early spring it is dominated
by the heads of yellow coltsfoot, whose
large leaves, which appear after flowering, continue to grow until the summer.
During the summer months, along with
horsetails and water hemp, you can see
the yellow flowers of sticky sage and
large yellow loosestrife.
Once past Ca’ Poggio di Casola (515 m),
you go around some fine specimens of
chestnut and then descend more quickly
towards the buildings of Bortignano di
sopra and the junction (445 m) for Ca’
di Bortignano, an interesting complex
you can see from the roadside where the
vegetation is sparser.
years ago by a group of enthusiasts, offers
various alternative routes. The trail, marked
with the initials VD (within the Reserve
today also marked on the CAI signs) and
sometimes with two yellow circles, partially
overlaps with the four suggested routes
and the longest hiking trails that cross the
Contrafforte. Within the protected area,
the path passes the Prati di Mugnano,
Badolo, Monte del Frate, Monte Adone
and Brento and continues south towards
Monzuno. A brochure is available in bookstores (latest edition 2007), accompanied
by specific maps, with a detailed description of the entire route and its walking and
mountain biking variants.
Via dei Santuari
TThe village of Brento on the slopes of Monte Adone.
6 At the base of the escarpment,
strips of holm oak trees, together with
rupicola shrubs and grasses, emphasize
the less cemented strata. Near the ridge
are some niches smoothed by wind and
rain and you can see raptors in flight,
whose presence is also revealed by the
white droppings that can be glimpsed on
the wall in the more sheltered ledges. To
the east, in the foreground, the Monte
delle Formiche stands out.
4 From the crossroads, looking up,
Monte Rosso and, in the background, Monte delle Formiche.
M
The spring at the Raibano creek.
6 Clumps of upright brome (Bromus
Adone, showing the historic events of
the Second World War related to the
mountainous area. A little further on
you reach a small plateau (625 m) at
the edge of the steep south wall of the
mountain. Nearby is a small rest area.
Close-up view of the towers of Monte Adone.
C
2 From Monte Rosso up to the Zena
parking lot that is located just before the
village, you have to walk another hundred
meters along Via Nazionale to get to the
village square, where you can take a detour
on Via della Chiesa and climb to the beauti-
3
Trail 122. The road passes some houses
and skirts the border of the reserve near
a deep valley shaded by tall poplars and
downy oaks and frequented by roe deer
and wild boar. Beyond the Picaflor Farm,
which also offers Bed & Breakfast accomodation, turning to the right, you reach
the junction with the trail, which goes
down to the Terzanello di sotto Farm,
where a centuries-old grapevine grows
(the so-called “Fantini grapevine”, discovered and documented by Luigi Fantini in
1964). Proceding at the same altitude,
you continue along the dirt road, lined
with young oak trees and patches of
broom. On the left are beautiful views of
the eastern side of the Rocca di Badolo.
At the junction with Trail 122b to Colliva and Villa Francia, take the left, still
proceeding along the dirt road, up to
a barred gate that closes the road. At
this point, take a narrow path on the
right that enters a shady mixed wood,
with horn beam and other broad-leaved
trees, part of the large Prati di Mugnano
public park. Go down the path, bumpy
and often muddy, alongside the fence
of private property until you reach a
wider track. When you turn left, you
immediately come upon a wide and
panoramic clearing. Trail 110 goes along
its edge and down into a xerophilous
oak wood, typical where there is sunny
exposure, where, in the early spring, the
white flowers of the viburnum stand
out (in summer the plant produces vivid
fruits, inedible, first red and then black
and glossy when ripe). At the intersection with Trail 118, you turn left and
proceed on Trail 110 towards the Raibano creek and Brento, where there is a
steep descent, continuing through the
woods to the next junction. Take a right
turn here and, after a last steeper and
more slippery section of trail, you reach
via Badolo, where you take a left turn.
After a hundred or so meters of paved
road, you proceed through the woods,
still following Trail 110 (directions for
Badolo and Brento).
4 Behind the unique peak of the
Sadurano (a dead end with no traffic)
and the directions for Trail 809. After a
short, sharp climb the road, at a curve,
becomes a dirt road and offers a spectacular panoramic view.
1 The peculiar houses of Livergnano,
> Departure Livergnano (525 m) > Highest point Is basically that of departure, because the first part of the route descends to the fork in the Trails 809 and
809a under I Sassi (325 m), before going back up to Livergnano
> Length 7.5 km > Duration 3 hours
The picturesque village of Livergnano is
located along the SP 65 called Futa about 9
kilometers after Pianoro, and is also reachable by public transport (ATC line 906 for
Monghidoro). Leaving the car in the new
covered by a typical mesophile forest
with black hornbeams, hazels, flowering
ashes, wild service trees, and maples, as
well as some chestnut trees (brought in for
productive purposes in past centuries and
well adapted to the sandy soils of the
Contrafforte). In the undergrowth, you can
see ferns and various herbaceous species
typical of cool and shady areas (primroses,
anemones, violets, hellebores, lungwort
and others), which bloom in late winter.
A waterfall along the Raibano creek.
4 From the plateau, being careful
Gray clay at the foot of Monte Adone.
G
5
3 The eastern side of Monte del Frate is
2 In the rocky outcrops, there are
> Departure Brento (463 m) > Highest point Monte Adone (654 m)
> Length 5 km > Duration 2 hours
3
TThe polished face of Monte del Frate.
a few isolated houses. Shortly before the
intersection with Via Valverde (485 m),
the Trail 110 branches off to the left and
goes along sandy ground, shortly reaching a large open space surrounded by the
typical vegetation of the sunny slopes
that you find along much of the route.
The route, which offers sweeping views and interesting natural and historical
sights, is the most direct route for reaching the highest peak of the Contrafforte
Pliocenico (the climb is a little over a kilometer and a half). The difference in altitude is significant (almost 200 m) but winds along a short and quite smooth path,
on easily recognizable trails and dirt roads. From the top you can then complete
the path going down along the ridge and take a shortcut down the northern
slope of the mountain. Near the summit and during the descent to the ridge, caution should be exercised in the most challenging and exposed sections.
6
Frate, particularly striking from the
Setta valley floor, is a perfect example of
the sandstone and sedimentary structures which form the Contrafforte, often
enriched with fossil traces of organisms
that lived in the Pliocene shallows. Wild
patches of holm oak (Quercus ilex), a
typical Mediterranean evergreen oak,
grow on the ledges and ridges, along
with junipers, brooms, dwarf helichrysum
shrubs (intensely perfumed) and other
rupicola species. Raptors such as the
peregrine falcon and lanner falcon,
Proceding at the same altitude, the trail
skirts the edge of the rock face, which
offers several spectacular panoramic views
over the Setta valley. Due south the nearby
peak of Monte Adone stands out, while
to the west, the mountain ridge of Monte
Sole is the dominant feature. On the
horizon you can glimpse the high peaks
of Corno alle Scale and Monte Cimone.
On the opposite side, to the east, the trail
goes around a young forest with a mix of
downy oak, holm oak, black hornbeam
and a few isolated chestnuts. Disregarding
a dirt road that descends to the left (the
sign warns that the road is off limits), you
reach a second fork where you stay to the
left then turn and continue up through the
woods, characterized by beautiful patches
of tree heath and sessile-leafed broom, to
reach, after a short descent, a crossroads
with numerous signs. Here you leave Trail
110 to follow the directions of Trail 122
towards Poggio dell’Oca, which winds
down into the woods to the left (the wide
track can be muddy at certain times).
After a few curves, you come out into a
large meadow, which boasts a sweeping view to the north, encompassing
the hills of Bologna, with the sanctuary
of the Beata Vergine di S. Luca in the
background, and to the east, Monte
Calvo and other areas of the Parco
Regionale Gessi Bolognesi e Calanchi
dell’Abbadessa overlooking the Savena
valley. Continuing down along a grassy
headline path flanked by thickets of
broom and wild roses, you come to Via
delle Valli (in the municipality of Pianoro)
and continue left along a drivable dirt
road, with views of the wooded northern slopes of Monte del Frate, until you
cross the SP 58 near a saddle. Beyond
the paved road, a private dirt road rises
briefly to the left up to a large board that
marks one of the historic spots of the
Gothic Line.
Coming down, staying to the right on
the paved road, after about a hundred
meters you pass the entrance to the
Nova Arbora Farm and Bed & Breakfast,
where a botanical garden is open to visitors by appointment. Continuing downhill, after 200 m, on the left you come to
Via delle Orchidee and you continue on
this dirt road following the indications for
Museo e Centro di Documentazione
“The Winter Line”- via della Chiesa, 4 - loc.
Livergnano - Pianoro - tel. 051 778834
This is an exhibition of relics from the Second
World War set up in one of the houses cut into
the sandstone of the Contrafforte Pliocenico. It
can usually be visited on Sundays (it is always
advisable to contact the owner first).
PPeregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus).
until the Napoleonic suppression of
religious orders.
Climbing back up again, you reach the
intersection with Via Serrasecca (481
m) and continue, with some ups and
downs, along Via di Bortignano (now
Trail 813) and after about a kilometer,
the road becomes paved and turns
around a rocky point, beyond which you
will find a nice vantage point looking
towards the Apennines (in the distance
you can see the characteristic shape of
Monte Cimone). From here you reach
the first houses of Livergnano, already
very close to the rock wall, and descend
towards the main road (Via di Bortignano ends opposite the village square).
The village of Bortignano from the street of the same name.
Centro tutela e ricerca fauna esotica e
selvatica Monte Adone - via Brento, 9 - loc.
Brento - Sasso Marconi - tel. 051 847600 [email protected] - www.centrotutelafauna.org
The center recovers and provides shelter for
animals, both native and exotic, abandoned,
injured or confiscated; it can be visited by
appointment, Saturday and Sunday afternoon
(May-September).
Giardino botanico Nova Arbora - via di Badolo,
35 - loc. Badolo - Sasso Marconi - tel. 051 847581 [email protected] - www.novarbora.com
The garden, in the Bed & Breakfast of the same name,
is organized into different habitats (pond, bracken,
medicinal, aromatic, Mediterranean and alpine plants,
gardens of the “delights” and “poisons”, etc...). It
can be visited by prior arrangement, from March to
October (closed in August).
Oasi Naturale SAPABA San Gherardo - via Rio
Conco - loc. Pontecchio Marconi - Sasso Marconi
- tel. 051 6758409 - [email protected] www.ecosistema.it/sangherardo
This is a large wetland area near the river Reno,
created through the environmental restoration of
a quarry, now home to numerous species of birds.
It is accessible by reservation only with guided
tours for schools and groups.
Hospitality
Holiday Farms and Bed & Breakfasts
Agriturismo Piccola Raieda - via Brento, 3
- loc. Badolo - Sasso Marconi - tel. 051 847531 info@piccolaraieda. it - www.piccolaraieda.it
B&B Nova Arbora - via Badolo, 35 - loc. Badolo
Sasso Marconi - tel. 051 847581 [email protected] - www.novarbora.com
B&B Falco Pellegrino - via Badolo, 56 Badolo - Sasso Marconi - tel. 051 847589 /
338.8286806 - falcopellegrino@ libero.it
B&B delle Valli - via delle Valli, 16 - loc. Badolo
- Sasso Marconi - tel. 051 847657 / 333 5783988
B&B Azienda agricola Picaflor - via delle
Orchidee, 5 - loc. Badolo - Sasso Marconi - tel.
335 8329308 - 338 8107600 - [email protected] www.lavandadipicaflor.it
B&B Prati di Mugnano - via Vizzano, 6 - loc.
Prati di Mugnano - Sasso Marconi - tel. 051
841109 - pratidimugnano@ gmail.com
- www.pratidimugnano.it
B&B Ca’ di Mazza - via Brento, 199/2 Brento - Monzuno - tel. 335 7267958 - info@
bbcadimazza.it - www.bbcadimazza.it
Restaurants and trattorias
Antica Hostaria della Rocca di Badolo
- via Brento, 2/4 - loc. Badolo - Sasso Marconi tel. 051 847506 - [email protected] www.hostariadibadolo.it
Ristorante Prati di Mugnano - via Vizzano, 8 - loc.
Prati di Mugnano - Sasso Marconi - tel. 051 841818
Trattoria Vizzano - via Vizzano, 17 - Sasso
Marconi - tel. 051 847054
Trattoria Ganzole - via Ganzole, 8 - Sasso
Marconi - tel. 051 841539
Trattoria Calamelli - via Setta, 75/p - Sasso
Marconi - tel. 051 847507
Trattoria Da Vanes - via Nazionale, 238 loc. Livergnano - Pianoro - tel. 051 778833
Trattoria Grillini - via Zena, 25 - Pianoro tel. 051 6510034 (check /they do not answer
telephone - in 2006 it worked)
Trattoria Bar Ca’ di Pippo - via Monte delle
Formiche, 5 - loc. Monte delle Formiche Pianoro - tel. 051 6510186
Vecchia Trattoria di Monte Adone
- via Castellazzo, 4/a - loc. Brento - Monzuno tel. 051 6775126 / 6778233 www.trattoriamonteadone.com
Hotels and inns
Albergo Ristorante l’Oasi - via Setta, 7 - Sasso
Marconi - tel. 051 841608
Locanda dei Cinque Cerri - via Setta, 45 - loc.
Cinque Cerri - Sasso Marconi - tel. 051 847734 [email protected]
- www.locandacinquecerri.com
Albergo Ristorante La Meridiana - via Ponte
Albano, 142 - Sasso Marconi - tel. 051 841098
Locanda Ristorante 3 Virtù - via Ponte
Albano, 97 - Sasso Marconi - tel. 051 6750182 trevirtù@hotmail.com - www.locanda3virtu.it
Albergo Ristorante Tre Galletti - via Ziano
di Sotto, 18 - Sasso Marconi - tel. 051 841128 [email protected] - www.tregalletti.com
Locanda Ristorante del Castello
Palazzo de’ Rossi - via Palazzo de’ Rossi, 16 loc. Pontecchio Marconi - Sasso Marconi - tel.
051 6781172 - [email protected] - www.
locandacastello.it
Centro Sportivo Hotel Camping Ristorante
Piccolo Paradiso - via Sirano, 7 - loc. Sirano
- Marzabotto - tel. 051 6750300 - info@
piccoloparadiso.eu - www.piccoloparadiso.eu