An interesting route to easily divide into stages to discover the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines!
This was meant to be a post to present an interesting trek that unites Bologna and Prato: the Via della Lana and della Seta. The stages of this route are Bologna, Sasso Marconi, Grizzana Morandi, Castiglione dei Pepoli, Vernio, Vaiano and Prato.
The Wool and Silk Road: the route
The Via della Lana e della Seta, as the website dedicated to it explains, is a journey of 130 km of medium difficulty, achievable in 6 or more days by even non-expert walkers and families.
A path that crosses theAppenino Tosco Emiliano and comes out in Tuscany, along the Val di Bisenzio, ideally joining two manufacturing cities, Bologna for silk, Prato for wool, in a path traced largely along CAI paths, on mid-mountain peaks and never exceeds 1.000 meters.
My "way" was paved with good intentions but unfortunately things did not go as planned. However, I had shortened it, having only three days available.
Marzabotto, a variant of the route
I left Florence by train early, I had reached Marzabotto instead of Sasso Marconi, along an interesting one variant that through the Monte Sole Regional Historical Park reveals a territory full of the memory of the events that took place during the Second World War. If in the historic center of Marzabotto there is in fact the impressive monument to the victims of the massacre (carried out by the Nazi-fascists at the end of September 1944 against the civilian population, with about 770 dead), it is Monte Sole Park that meet, indeed touch each other, the places where the killings took place: in farmhouses, in small isolated villages, in churches. Everywhere, stones and small monuments recall these episodes, in a sort of painful pilgrimage "for walkers".
Grizzana Morandi
The final destination of this first day was Grizzana Morandi, after about 22 kilometers of walking between cultivated fields and woods. Grizzana is a quiet town, which bears witness to the places dear to the painter Giorgio Morandi and where there is, not exactly on our path, a curious building called Rocchetta Mattei, a fairy-tale and eclectic residence.
I haven't seen it, but on the other hand I stayed in a wonderful B&B with a very relevant name: 6 tired. It seems aimed at walkers, in reality the house is part of a small ancient village called Tired of Sopra.
The owner of the B&B, Ruth, is a very nice and lively Londoner who welcomes guests into her large house and beautifully refurbished annexes. While enjoying the evening in the garden or having breakfast all together, sitting at the large kitchen table, she tells how she came to live here from London and how much she has worked to bring a group of abandoned houses to new life.
Towards Castiglione dei Pepoli
The second stage, for another 22 kilometers, the village of Castiglione dei Pepoli. To reach it you cross very sweet landscapes, hills and fields in a continuous ups and downs that are not too tiring and very pleasant. Maybe the countryside in this spring season is beautiful, bright with green, with flowers but this stage really struck me for its peculiarity. Castiglione dei Pepoli is a small town, where I stayed atThe bridge hotel. Very central, it offers friendly hospitality and "walker" prices.
The third stage was supposed to take me to Vernio after 20 kilometers, but due to the weather it didn't happen. The rain that started in the evening has never stopped and therefore the return has been accelerated thanks also to a bus that took me back to Prato. Too bad because the landscape was beautiful, crossing the Bisenzio Valley and slowly approaching the Prato capital. In particular I would have liked to go to Montepiano, where there are several interesting things to see.
However, this trek is a new, easy path that adds to the increasingly interesting offer ofTuscan-Emilian Apennines, after the best known Street of the Gods.
The proposed stages are well practicable, easily divided - as in my case! - thanks to public transport; the hospitality is widespread and affordable (45 euros each for half board both at 6Stanco and at the Hotel Il Ponte) and the food is always very good - we are in Emilia!
