Οι καλύτερες διαδρομές ποδηλασίας χωρίς κυκλοφορία Zeri

A beautiful mountain pass at 1,400 meters. There's a refuge, a small chapel, a monument—in short, everything you'd expect in a place like this. There's even a small clothing store. The only thing that's jarring is the constant noise of a combustion engine, which I assume is a generator for the refuge's operation.

small village but very suggestive and picturesque to pass by bicycle

During the Second World War, the Pra Bon area, located in the mountainous territory of the Municipality of Zeri (Massa-Carrara), played a strategic role in the supply network organized by the Allies for the partisan formations active in the Ligurian-Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. The location, a high grassy expanse located near the Foce di Prabono, was used as a launch field for materials intended for the liberation struggle. Due to its isolated position, difficult to access by land but visible from the sky and large enough to receive airdrops, Pra Bon was ideal for this purpose. Allied aircraft — generally taking off from southern Italy or from bases in Corsica — carried out night airdrops of weapons, ammunition, food, medicines and radio equipment intended for the partisan detachments operating in the area. The materials were parachuted and collected on site by the partisan brigades, who then took care of their distribution and protection. The operations were not without risks. The area was subject to continuous roundups by Nazi-Fascist forces, aware of the logistical importance of those places. In particular, on August 3, 1944, near the nearby Monte Picchiara, a violent clash took place between partisan forces and German troops during one of these roundups. The toponym "Pra Bon" or "Pra Bono", which means "good meadow" in the local dialect, still evokes the memory of that period: from a place of transhumance and summer pasture, it was transformed for a few crucial months into a clandestine hub of the Resistance, a meeting point between the mountains of Lunigiana and the liberated skies.

Village historically linked to the tradition of transhumance The ancient village of Noce is one of the first villages you encounter when entering the Zeri Valleys. In ancient times, the village of Noce was completely rural, historically linked to the work of shepherds and with them to the beautiful tradition of transhumance towards the town of Formentara. This took place through the ancient road called "Trianara", recently restored. During the Second World War, the village of Noce suffered a terrible roundup, during which almost the entire village was burned down. Today, the current village is very different from the original, which in ancient times was built almost entirely of stone arches and vaults.

Here the dirt road runs along the ridge of the mountains between the Vara Valley and the Magra Valley

The Ponte della Cresa is a stone bridge built in the 14th century and despite the frequent flooding of the Verde river, it has maintained its original structure to this day. The bridge connects the new neighborhoods with the historic center. The bridge is located along the Verde river near Porta San Francesco. Under the arch of this bridge, on January 31, the characteristic fire of San Geminiano takes place. The Ponte della Cresa is considered by many to be the true symbol of the city of Pontremoli. It is also interesting to note that the name Pontremoli derives from the Latin 'Pons Tremulus', which means 'unsafe bridge'. This was a term used to describe the original conurbation of the city.

Entrance to Pontremoli from Porta San Francesco

Caffè degli Svizzeri F.lli Aichta the most famous café in the city, where you can't miss trying the "amor", the typical sweets made of two wafers with lots of delicious cream in the middle, whose recipe is a secret that every Pontremolese pastry shop has been handing down for years. the "Campanone" among the numerous towers that form the profile of Pontremoli is the most imposing. The Campanone was in fact one of the three towers of the so-called Cacciaguerra fortress, a sort of curtain that cut Pontremoli in two, from river to river. The construction of this barrier, wanted by Castruccio Castracani in 1322, was necessary to calm the violent struggles between Guelphs and Ghibellines, which in the 14th century also involved Pontremoli. The separation between the two parts of Pontremoli was so clear that the two areas had taken on a specific name: Imoborgo the southern one and Sommoborgo the northern one, each with its own square (the current Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Repubblica).