Trail n°1 – Castelvecchio

Colle – Margine dei Ferri – Mulino di Maciste – Via del Fosso – Colle

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Starting from Piazza del Colle and walking among olive groves, woods, small streams, rivers and crossing beautiful medieval villages.

The path n°1 “Castelvecchio” is assigned the color green. The path is ring and is marked with directional arrows of green and light blue. The path starts from the main car park of Colle di Buggiano, where you can park for free.

From the car park go up taking the ancient paved road that leads to the medieval village and in a few minutes you reach the main square outside the walls, where you can admire the Romanesque Pieve di S.Lorenzo. From the square, passing the door, cross the pretty village, letting yourself be inspired by the small streets that will lead you to the Porta di Sopra or Porta a Massa.

Leaving the village behind and along the asphalt road you can get on the Provincial Colligiana. Turn left and you will reach the Margine dei Ferri.

Trekking on the path and the road of Castelvecchio

On the left of the Margin you can take the road of Castelvecchio, descends abruptly in the first section. Continue until you find a dirt road on the right that leads you to Le Poiane. Walk along the river Cessana between oaks and chestnut trees until you reach the ruins of an ancient nineteenth-century powder keg “La polveriera”.

The country’s elders say that during World War II all gunpowder was hidden under this bridge.

Continuing on path no. 1 cross the bridge over the Cessana and proceed along a short climb that leads you to a junction near a house. At this point continue left until you reach the asphalt road again. Head left for strong, , an ancient village razed to the ground by the highlands in 1300, after crossing the stream Cessana take the road to the right and go down the pavement that runs along the Mulino di Maciste e da qui all’incrocio dovrete girare a destra e seguendo il sentiero di ciottoli tornate al paese di Colle di Buggiano; passando da via del fosso, arrivate al punto di partenza.

Curiosity

The Margine dei Ferri is part of those sacred buildings (as well as small chapels, tabernacles and oratories) that were right at the “margins” of the agricultural properties, the farms or in any case in positions considered propitiatory for the fertility of the earth as hills and rises. These architectures housed sacred images to protect houses and livestock and were often visited during festivals and processions.

The territory is very rich in buildings of this type. Have fun visiting them during your walks!

Flora and fauna

Flora

In the cultivated hilly area: grassy swans, olive groves, rows of vines, fruit trees.

In the woods: chestnut, oak, holm oak, hornbeam, pine, robinie or acacia, willow, elder, fern, lung.

Fauna

In plain and hill: foxes, martens, hares and some otters along the streams. And then turtledoves, partridge, lodole, jay, robin, woodpecker, blackbird, thrush.

In the forest a rich wildlife: porcupines, roe deer, badgers, wild boar, squirrels.