A very fascinating leg, where small villages alternate with forests and points with beautiful views of the Apennine mountains, in particular Monte Cimone and Corno alle Scale. The village of Bruscoli is the intermediate stop, only stopover point located in Tuscany. From Madonna dei Fornelli, it heads towards the charming village of Qualto, then pass near Montefredente and then towards Ca' de' Santoni, with the characteristic Pian del Voglio Church in sight. While crossing a beautiful beech and fir trees forest, it enters Tuscany arriving to Bruscoli immediately after, a charming village with several points of interest that are worth a stop. A descent along the Biscione torrent, with its beautiful falls, and then the Gambellato torrent, to be crossed at a beautiful farmhouse, heads to Roncobilaccio. A suggestive climb leads to the magical Shrine of Boccadirio, located near the arrival in Baragazza.
10,3 km
The Bruscoli area occupies the right side of the Gambellato valley. Its history begins long ago, the first substantial traces date back to the Etruscan period, when the valley was crossed by a branch of the so-called "iron road" that connected the southern coast of Tuscany to Spina, on the Adriatic Sea, for trading with Greek people. Close to the village of Albagino, located near the Gambellato torrent, numerous votive bronzes belonging to an Etruscan temple have been recently found. Toponymic traces of the Byzantine period and of the Goth population remain from the early Middle Ages: the toponym Bruscoli seems to derive from this age. The stories told by the elders speak of the passage of Frederick Barbarossa, perhaps also Frederick II of Swabia came here and stayed in the fortress of Bruscoli. These stories are supported by recent research. We have news of the castle of Bruscoli since the twelfth century, when it was the gateway to the territories of the powerful family of the Alberti di Prato Counts (vassals of Frederick Barbarossa), whose territory extended from Bruscoli to the Tuscan Maremma. Finds from this and other historical periods are exhibited in the town's Historical and Gothic Line Museum The hamlet of the ‘Albergo’ is really outstanding: incorporated into the current town, its history goes hand in hand with the fortress one. It includes, in addition to the thirteenth-century church, dedicated to San Nicolò first, later to San Francesco, then to Santa Maria and today to the Madonna del Rosario, also a palace from the fourteenth-fifteenth century, a Medici family palace, perhaps an ancient customs house and another palace, by the Medici as well. In these residences, there are superb and valuable coats of arms of the most important families who dominated these territories, such as the Medici, the Minni, etcetera. There are also several naturalistic points of interest, including the Biscione waterfall, unique in the area with its 50 meters high. The Museum of Sacred Art, located on the premises of the parish church, is also worth a visit.
Recently famous all over Italy because of the exit of the A1 highway and the jams that often formed there before the construction of the Variante di Valico, between Bologna and Florence, Roncobilaccio has a very ancient history, as a mountain outpost, presumably built shortly after the year 1000. Its vicissitudes were linked for many years to the events of the Pepoli family and the nearby Boccadirio Shrine. Today, some testimonies of the ancient history of the village have remained in some houses, that were renovated, but still retaining traces of the past, such as a tower house. Worthy of mention are the Private Oratory of Santa Croce, from the 17th century, and the modern church of the same name.
A border village, Baragazza has a very ancient history, characterized by the disputes between Tuscany and Bologna, which at the end of the fourteenth century managed, with a big effort, to gain control over it. Its church is dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel and was rebuilt in the late 1700s: a valuable painting of the Florentine school depicting the patron saint appears on the main altar. The history of this community has always been linked to the Boccadirio Shrine’s one. In the village there are some accommodation facilities and places to eat.
La Via Mater Dei, come tutti i percorsi sul versante emiliano romagnolo dell'Appennino, presenta diversi tratti con criticità che ne rendono difficile la percorrenza a seguito dei recenti eventi meteorologici.
In particolare le zone della Val di Zena, Monte delle Formiche, Monte Bibele, Scanello e Madonna dei Boschi sono state colpite da frane e allagamenti. In questi giorni si stanno effettuando sopralluoghi su tutto il territorio. Al momento è ASSOLUTAMENTE SCONSIGLIATO mettersi per sentieri nelle zone citate.
La seconda parte del cammino, da Madonna dei Boschi in poi, presenta meno criticità, ma presenta anch?essa alcune problematiche, piccoli smottamenti, alcune strade chiuse al traffico ecc. C'è molto fango e i guadi sono assolutamente NON transitabili. Si raccomanda, prima di mettersi in cammino in qualunque area, di informarsi presso i punti informazione ufficiali.
Ci vorrà un po? di pazienza, ma siamo assolutamente certi che in brevissimo tempo il percorso sarà nuovamente totalmente agibile!
VIA MATER DEI The Camino of the Marian Sanctuaries of the Bolognese Apennines
Foiatonda Cooperativa di comunità
Via della Libertà , 2 - Madonna dei Fornelli
40048 San Benedetto Val di Sambro (BO)
