The Apennines - Italy's Unknown Mountains

Walking Notes

Day 3: Lizzano – Pianaccio

Recommended start time: 09h30-10h00
Walking time: 11.5km, around 5.5 hours
Path: Fair, without technically challenging sections

Your walk begins on good paths, with no very challenging section, although the climb up to Molino de Tognarino is quite steep.

Turn left out of the side-road in which the hotel is situated on to the main road (Via III Novembre). After about 400m, leave this road and bear right on to Via Piastrella. You will see the Hotel Piastrella ahead on your left. 10m before the hotel entrance take the path on your right (marked Laghetto). You pass to the right of the hotel tennis courts. Further on, on the right, is a well-preserved casone, a stone building used to dry chestnuts (see introductory section).

Keep straight on the Laghetto path past the casone on your right, following the occasional red and white waymarks – sometimes numbered 147. Through the woods you will see the first houses of the hamlet of Casale. At the end of the path you will see an ancient small shrine, or maestà, with a panoramic view towards Monteacuto, the Silla and Baricello river valleys. Take the wide path descending right. You pass an ancient stone washing-trough near a spring.

The last part of the path descends towards the asphalt road and finally joins it. Turn right and after 150m take the road slanting off to your left following the Laghetto di Porchia sign. You pass the ruins of an ancient water mill and a hydro-electric power station – behind it you can still see the old workings. You will also see several water mills (Porchia, Molino di Tognarino, Molino della Squaglia) later on along your route.

25mins: Beyond the ruined power station the road passes over a bridge, at the end of which turn left, then right after 25m going through a metal barrier on a wide mule track that ascends steeply. The path then goes gently up and down, getting closer and closer to the Rio della Piastra stream. There are red and white waymarks, but they are sometimes difficult to find, particularly after about 250m where the path bears right and narrows. However, after another 75m you will reach and cross the Rio della Piastra. Climb uphill, bearing right along a well-marked path and veering away from the stream which remains at a distance to your right. After 10-15 minutes you should reach a small shrine with a spring. Along this path in spring and autumn wild cyclamen are found in abundance.

1hr: Back a few paces from the shrine, turn sharp left (northwards), still following the waymarks. The remains of the ancient settlement of La Piastra can just be made out to the right, with a panoramic view of La Nuda, Corno alle Scale and Balzi del Fabbuino to the left. After about 500m the path takes a sharp right turn, still with red and white waymarks, up to a gentle SE-heading ridge. With Rio Fantino down in a ravine to your left, the view to the right, towards Monteacuto, the high Silla Valley and the Corno is magnificent.

1hr 20mins: After a short section on rocky terrain, you reach a cluster of ancient buildings known as Masere, where you can admire a well-preserved though abandoned water mill. Passing to the right of it, follow the way-marked path up along the Rio Fantino until you reach a bridge, which you cross. Turn sharp left after the bridge, then sharp right after 20m; the path is still way-marked, but missable. As you ascend the hill the hamlet of Molino di Tognarino that you will reach shortly becomes visible through the beech trees. As you emerge from the trees, aim for the middle path between the rows of houses. On the wall of the first house of the hamlet on the right there is a mummia.

Mummie

Mummie are ancient, carved stone figurines occasionally seen on older houses in the Apennines. With their origins going back to pre-Christian days and possibly of Celtic design, they were representations of spirits and were carved on houses to keep evil influences away. As with so many pagan customs, their use continued long after the area was Christianised.

1hr 55mins: Go through the hamlet, turning sharp left uphill at the end of the row of houses, and after another 100m you reach a tarmac road. Turn left along this road and after about 800m at a further T-junction turn right, following the signs for Ca’ di Falchi and Madonna del Faggio. Ignore the left fork that soon branches up for Ca’ di Falchi. 100m further along the road, cross a small stream and as the road bears right, on a large stone to the left is a carving of two people dressed in Indian headgear, one with a horse and the other with an eagle on his arm. Just before it is another stone, ideally situated for sitting on to take a rest and some refreshment.

2hrs 15mins: You come to the hamlet of La Pennola where you can find fresh water on your left. Continue straight on past the bus stop along the main road. After about 10 minutes take the wide track right, signposted to Santuario BV del Faggio. Along the track you have magnificent views over Lizzano, Monte Pizzo and Monte Grande.

2hrs 30mins: After another 5 minutes take time to admire the view to your right over Monteacuto, the Baricello stream valley and the Corno alle Scale. Ignore the first turning to the left, which leads to a private house. Instead, keep straight on the wide track for another kilometre to a junction. Here turn onto the track that climbs gradually left marked by a blue sign to Tresana. (In case of wet weather, when it may be slippery underfoot from Tresana to Madonna del Faggio, stay instead straight on the lower track and follow signs to Madonna del Faggio.) After 500m, take the path to the right through the green metal barrier into Tresana.

3hrs 10mins: There is a drinking fountain and places to sit in Tresana, but you may prefer to delay your picnic until you have passed through the hamlet and taken Path 147 down to the right immediately after the last house. Here you emerge into a meadow with views towards Monteacuto.
Go straight on down the slope following the red and white waymarks. Be careful: this path may be slippery in wet weather. Look out for where the path turns right 200m on, after passing a conifer wood. After 15 minutes you will find a casone on your right and some minutes later you will reach a junction with the main path leading to Madonna del Faggio. Turn left. A crucifix 10m on signals the last Station of the Cross before the sanctuary, which is some 200m further on.

Madonna Del Faggio (Our Lady of the Beech Tree)

The chapel is named after the splendid beech tree growing behind it. According to legend, the Madonna appeared to a young shepherd here and the sanctuary was built on the demand of the local people. For centuries it has been a destination for pilgrims and hermits. A hermit (known locally as romitto) lived here until 1964 looking after the sanctuary and living on the contributions of nearby inhabitants and pilgrims.

3hrs 40mins: Take way-marked Path 109 on your right at the beginning of the bridge facing the sanctuary along the Rio Baricello. (If you have crossed the bridge to look at the church you must go back across and find the Monteacuto branch of 109 immediately after the bridge on your left. Do not take the ongoing branch of Path 109 that climbs steeply from the church.) The path descends gradually to reach Molino della Squaglia, an old water mill. Continuing on the waymarked Path 109 turn left after the mill, crossing the bridge, and climb gradually to Monteacuto (take care on the last section: the rocky terrain may be slippery in wet weather).

Monteacuto

Monteacuto is one of the most attractive villages of the region, now with just a handful of year-round residents. Take time to explore here – the church (which can be reached by turning right at the fountain and going up the steps) has a magnificent Baroque wooden crucifix, and the empty streets resonate with echoes of the past. There is a pleasant bar (on the left as you leave the village on the road) where you can reward yourselves with a coffee or glass of something stronger.

4hrs 25mins: At the point where the path arrives in Monteacuto, you turn right. An arch immediately on your left will take you up some steps and left again into a square from which the road goes on towards Pianaccio, but by going on to the right first you will see the older part of the village and some magnificent views.

Leaving Monteacuto, take the narrow road ascending left (on a house wall on the right a painting shows the whole region). Go straight on, past a small square, Le Tegge, and descend gently. A few metres after the square you can see a recently restored water tank on the left. Keep on going straight on. You reach the cemetery on your right. Bear right descending gently on a track and ignore the path that levels out which is way-marked 113.

4hrs 45mins When you are approaching the end of the descent you reach a bend turning left where you can see a maesta (shrine). A few metres on at the next bend to the right, take the path just in front of you marked by a red waymark on a tree on the right and a red/white ribbon. Keep on descending passing through a pine wood and following the red/white ribbon.

5hrs 10mins The path levels out and through the trees you can see the village of Pianaccio on your left. Take care! About 15 minutes of steep descent leads you to the Silla stream – you may need to help yourself by grasping onto the nearby trees. Cross the stream on the rocks (taking care when the stream is full). Go uphill and look for a path ahead of you that ascends gently.

5hrs 40mins You are below the village of Pianaccio and on the right you should see a picnic area. Keep on going uphill, ascend the steps and keep left (with fencing on your right) on a short grassy path. Go up some more steps to reach the tarmac road. Turn left and walk along the main road for about 400m to reach the Antica Locanda Alpina (Ristorante Gentilini) on the left.

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