7th STAGE

Ripoli – Riola

22,4 km

DISTANCE

8h30m

term

833/-1118

DIFFERENCE IN HEIGHT

PATH

General information

A grand finale, with an extremely pleasant stage rewarded by the beautiful views of Montovolo and Monte Vigese that gradually approach.

The first part runs along the Brasimone stream and the many mills that in the past exploited its waters, and then climbs towards the Sanctuary of Montovolo, located in a unique place that also hosts the Oratory of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria and a path linked to the tragedy of the Salvemini school, where a military plane crashed, killing 12 children.

The descent towards Riola di Vergato is full of attractions, from the perfectly preserved historic villages of Sterpi and La Scola, to Rocchetta Mattei, a truly unique castle.

Upon arrival, the church designed by Norwegian architect Alvar Aalto, dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta, welcomes hikers as they reach the Via Mater Dei.

What to see

Camugnano

In the surroundings of Monte Vigese, easily accessible by foot, are places of great historical and spiritual interest. In Vigo, a village of Roman origin, the church that dominates the town stands out. In the locality of Serra dei Frascari stands the Oratory of the Frascari, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. Begun in 1668 and completed in 1673, it houses a striking painted stucco statue depicting the Virgin with seven swords thrust into her heart, carried in procession every year. Also not to be missed is the church of San Giovanni Battista in Verzuno, one of the oldest parish churches in the Bolognese Apennines, recorded as early as 976 and rebuilt on the ruins of a castle after a landslide destroyed the original structure.