솔리그나노 최고의 사이클링 경로

A beautiful town in the Parma Apennines. Worth a visit.

Situated at 717 meters above sea level, Santa Maria del Taro is a hamlet in the municipality of Tornolo (province of Parma), nestled in the heart of the Northern Apennines, near the border between Emilia and Liguria. Since the early Middle Ages, its strategic position along the ancient ridge road connecting the sea to the Po Valley has made it a transit and trade center, as well as a military and commercial control point. The name itself recalls the religious devotion that has permeated the town for centuries: the church-sanctuary dedicated to the Nativity of Mary, rebuilt in neoclassical style between 1807 and 1834, stands on an older structure and has been the spiritual center of the upper Taro Valley for centuries. The building, with its broad façade and stone bell tower, preserves a deep devotional tradition that is still alive. A short walk from the center is the Ponte dei Priori, a medieval humpbacked stone structure that once served as the only permanent access to the valley and symbolically marked the passage between the lands of the Malaspina and Fieschi families, two powerful feudal families of the Apennines. Over the centuries, Santa Maria del Taro has maintained an identity suspended between Emilian and Ligurian culture, evident in the features of its rural architecture, local dialects, and popular customs.

Situated at 956 meters between the Vara and Aveto Valleys, the Bocco Pass is one of the historic passes of the Ligurian Apennines, used since ancient times as a connection between the Tyrrhenian coast and the Po Valley hinterland. Already in Roman times, it was part of a secondary transit network, but it was especially in the Middle Ages and modern times that the pass assumed a central role in local traffic: a route for merchants, shepherds, and pilgrims, it connected Chiavari and the Riviera with Varese Ligure and the Emilian plains. Traces of the ancient paving are still visible today in the surrounding woods. During the Second World War, the area served as a refuge for partisan groups, thanks to its secluded location and dense forest cover. Today, the pass is a destination for cyclists and hikers, immersed in an unspoiled mountain landscape of beech and fir forests and highland meadows, at the gateway to the Aveto Regional Natural Park.

Beautiful panoramic viewpoint, and excellent fountain🚰 a little hidden behind it.

We return to cross the Cenno stream to take the cycle path that runs alongside it

for crossing the Cenno stream

Berceto is a charming village located in the Parma Apennines, at an altitude of 852 meters above sea level. It is located halfway between Parma and La Spezia, in the valley of the Taro river, in the Emilia-Romagna region Berceto is a stop on the Via Francigena, the pilgrimage route of early medieval Christianity to Rome. The ancient village preserves the character and atmosphere typical of the Middle Ages, with stone houses, buildings from the 12th to the 17th centuries and the ruins of a castle. Some of the main attractions are the Cathedral of St. Moderanno, an important example of Romanesque architecture, and the ruins of the Castle of Berceto. Next to the church is the Cathedral Museum, which preserves sacred furniture and vestments, including the 12th century Cape of San Moderanno.

The Monumento al Pastore in Berceto is a monument in honor of the shepherds of the region. It is located near the Duomo of San Moderanno, a Romanesque church that is an important historical and religious center in Berceto1. The monument itself is a tribute to the traditional lifestyle and hard work of the shepherds who have played a crucial role in the history and culture of the region.