14th May 2015 Cassio (813m altitude) to Il Tugo (near the Cisa Pass at 900+m)
16.5km
Beautiful weather all the way but becoming very windy
Shorter version:
Fantastic walk through these absolutely beautiful mountains, which have to be seen to be believed, and which seem to go on forever. Some quite steep climbs up and down with incredible winds. Arrived in Bercetto & visited Duomo church and then walked to the hostel further on up the mountain and glad to be there!
Longer version:
It was hard to get out of my cosy bed when the alarm sounded at 7h00, but I could already hear the other pilgrims up and about (a German man and an Italian mother and daughter). Andrea informed me that the match was a draw and that Juventus would be in the European Cup final! He also asked me not to tell the people in the next hostel that he provided flannelette sheets, etc…
I had some breakfast of fruit, bread and tea, and set off in perfect conditions with of course incredible views on all sides. The Apennines are absolutely beautiful mountains so I can really recommend that you visit this area, especially in spring when the wild flowers are fabulous. When I go home I will be studying the atlas of this area to see how these mountains are situated geographically as they seem to cover such an extensive area.
Most of today’s route was constantly uphill on the road with a few sections of mountain tracks some parts of which were quite difficult. At one point a snake about 60cm long was indolently sunning itself across the track and I hissed at it (but of course it couldn’t hear, could it?) and then I scraped around with my sticks so it slithered away into the grass – I was relieved! At another point the path was steep and difficult and I feared I’d have to go up the track backwards on my bottom but finally managed to get a non-slipping foothold on the path – where was my Belgian Army Reserve (since disbanded) captain now when needed? Some parts of the paths were water-logged but I managed to get through without having to remove my shoes!
I have avoided the most difficult alternate paths noted in my guide and marked on the map as the specified paths were difficult enough to cope with – some of the “alternate” paths have been marked by walking groups, often just to take one off the road or to make it more “interesting”, but Sigeric did not in fact walk these paths.
The last part of the path into Bercetto was what was left of a Roman road which was, however, well-maintained and still used in the town centre. After a delicious cappuccino (which was finally very hot!) in the piazza, the waiter agreed to let me recharge my sports watch (which had run down and which I needed to measure distances) while I visited the Duomo.
The church is the Cathedral of San Moderanno, the Bishop of Rennes in France and patron saint of the Duomo, who retired to a Benedictine monastery here in the 8th century on his return from a pilgrimage to Rome. It is a Romanesque building, originally built in the 11th and 12th centuries, but altered several times, and very simple inside. I followed a small group of people in, one of whom was a local & who knew how to illuminate the church and get into the museum of the cathedral’s treasures, so I tagged along listening to his explanations. The most beautiful object I thought was a perfect glass chalice of Murano glass probably dating to the 7th or 8th century which had been found in the ruins of a previous church.
There were also beautiful stone reliefs of the Stations of the Cross on the walls of the church which had a high wooden ceiling in the main nave but gothic vaulting in the side aisles.
I also went to the Bancomat, one of the privileges of the modern pilgrim (did Sigeric carry cash with him for the whole trip?). Bought a huge piece of a delicious Torta d’erbe which was a covered fine pastry tart with a mixture of potato, onions, zucchini, leek or spinach inside. I set off along the road towards the Pass to go to the hostel in another casa cantoniera where I am to stay the night (fortunately dinner and breakfast will be provided). Absolutely fabulous vistas but the wind was so strong that it nearly blew me away, even with the weight of my pack, and I had to make an effort to advance…and to keep my precious hat from blowing away. Also clouds were covering the top of the range which was a little worrying.
After another 6 km I arrived in a cold biting wind but no one was home so I sat out in the sun and ate my late lunch. Once Fausto (who is a state forest worker) & his wife Catarina arrived they let me in and started heating the living/dining area (you’ll remember no heating in Italy after 1st May, even at 850m…) with a fire in a artisan-style tin stove which worked really well, and also the hot water! It is 6C outside! There are 3 other male pilgrims here tonight.
Fausto told us that this building was a hunting lodge in the much-loved Duchess of Parma Maria-Louisa’s time and the carriages used to drive into the building.**(history below if interested and I first heard of her when I visited Parma last autumn)
The building was renovated in 2000 (Jubilee year for this “casa cantoniera” also?) and was closed from 2007-2009 and re-opened when Fausto & Catarina were prevailed upon to take it on. They live in Berceto with two young children, so they went home after dinner (they set the self-service breakfast up before leaving).
It is a very big house and the external walls are 60cm thick & I was pleased to see double-glazed windows but the terrible wind was coming in around the ill-fitting windows. Fausto said that this is the only road in Italy, because of its strategic importance, which is a national road i.e. maintained by the Italian State. It originally went from Pavia to Sarzana and was built by Napoleon (who else!) in 1808. It also used to house, in addition to the person responsible for looking after the roads & his family, many other road workers. He is a very interesting person & we chatted while he was doing his fire-making duties & was happy that I could help with translation with the other pilgrims. He confirmed the importance of the bar/trattoria in Cassio & said if it closed the village would die.
Later…We have now had an excellent meal in a warm atmosphere – an aperitivo of Parmesan cheese, salami and some pressed meat with bread & red wine, home-made ravioli with pesto, hot meat-loaf with sauce & a salad of delicious tomatoes & wonderful sweet little fresh white onions which one can just munch away on! I was the chief translator for the Irish and German walkers so it was for me to ask for more red wine to accompany this good meal but no problem at all… Everyone was happy to fall into bed.
If it is pouring, as predicted tomorrow “brutto tempo”, Fausto had said that he will drive those who desire it over the pass to Pontremoli in Tuscany…but the sun always shines in Tuscany, doesn’t it?
Highlights of the day and things I have seen, learnt,
-vistas, vistas and more beautiful vistas!
– yes, it’s going to be a good year for cherries again, now just many little green fruit on the trees
– surprise of the day was an extraordinary fig tree beside the road (I love figs!) which in mid-May at 850m already had at least a hundred, if not more, tiny fruit on the branches!
-the beautiful simple Duomo of Bercetto with its Stations of the Cross and the perfect Murano chalice. I lit a candle there thinking of all friends and family.
-the warm welcome of Catarina and Fausto in such cold conditions
** from Wikipedia:
Marie Louise (Maria Ludovica Leopoldina Franziska Therese Josepha Lucia; 12 December 1791 – 17 December 1847) was an Austrian archduchess who reigned as Duchess of Parma from 1814 until her death. She was Napoleon’s second wife and, as such, Empress of the French from 1810 to 1814.
As the eldest child of the Habsburg Emperor Francis II of Austria and his second wife, Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily, Marie Louise grew up during a period of continuous conflict between Austria and revolutionary France. A series of military defeats at the hands of Napoleon Bonaparte had inflicted a heavy human toll on Austria and led Francis to dissolve the Holy Roman Empire.
The end of the War of the Fifth Coalition resulted in the marriage of Napoleon and Marie Louise in 1810, which ushered in a brief period of peace and friendship between Austria and the French Empire. Marie Louise dutifully agreed to the marriage despite being raised to despise France. She was an obedient wife and was adored by Napoleon, who had been eager to marry a member of one of Europe’s leading royal houses to cement his relatively young Empire. With Napoleon, she bore a son, styled the King of Rome at birth, later Duke of Reichstadt, who briefly succeeded him as Napoleon II.
Napoleon’s fortunes began to change dramatically in 1812 after his failed invasion of Russia. The European powers, including Austria, resumed hostilities towards France in the War of the Sixth Coalition, which ended with the abdication of Napoleon and his exile to Elba. The 1814 Treaty of Fontainebleau handed over the Duchies of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla to Empress Marie Louise. She ruled the duchies until her death.