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Provincial Park of Montovolo
(parks and natural riserve a Grizzana Morandi)40030 Vimignano BO
Getting here: There is no public transport for the peak. Car park available, but no parking for coaches. The mountain peak is only partially accessible to disabled because the track is uneven.
The Provincial Park of Montòvolo was established in 1972. It covers around 34 hectares of land; its woods feature downy oaks, hop hornbeams, chestnuts, wild animals and historical buildings. The park has a guest room run by the municipality of Grizzana Morandi; in the past, the building might have been a tavern or a pilgrims hostel and today the three arches of the XVI-XVII century portico are still visible.
The mountain, near Monte Vigese (1,115mt), overlooks the valleys of the rivers Limentra di Treppio and Reno on the north side, with a wide landscape view beyond the valley of the river Setta. Montòvolo’s peak is 962mt high and is made of sedimentary rocks; the road leading to its top has a number of religious aedicules and culminates on a wide expanse of land. The area has a history of religious cults that goes back to pagan times; it once featured a church donated by the bishop Adalfredo in 1054 to the monks of San Pietro in Bologna, later destroyed in 1240 by the ghibellines of Frederick II. Here visitors will also find the ancient sanctuary of Santa Maria della Consolazione and the oratory of Santa Caterina. The name Montòvolo, or Monte Ovolo, clearly refers to the round shape of the mountain. In the middle ages it was also known as Monte Palense or Monte Giove (Juppiter); the link with these two pagan gods has given rise to the hypothesis that this mountain hosted a temple dedicated to Iuppiter Appenninus, a Celtic god. Beside the religious aspect, these valleys also hosted fairs and markets in September, attracting lots of people from the surrounding valleys. -
Other info:- Vimignano
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Information by Redazione dell'Appennino Bolognese
Last update: 28/01/15 (NewsID: 5097)
