Here is the route
What you will see
At a glance
Up and down
Description
Coming from Cagli or Pontedazzo, you can leave your car at Ponte Petrella, a small bridge that crosses the Balbano stream. From here, take the flat road towards Pian di Balbano and then turn right, uphill, towards I Conti, a small cluster of houses.
The climb continues at a fairly steep pace until you reach the Pianello-Cantiano junction. Here, turn left and shortly after arrive at the plaque commemorating the fallen of the Battle of Viano.
On March 25, 1944, large Nazi-Fascist forces conducted a sweep operation against the Fastiggi and Pisacane partisan detachments of the 5th Garibaldi Brigade, stationed on Mount Catria and in the municipality of Cantiano. They attacked from three directions: one column came from Pianello, one from Pontedazzo, and the third from Pontericcioli. In the clash, known as the "Battle of Vilano," the two partisan detachments, aware of the impending sweep, awaited the attack, taking up positions in trenches dug into the ground. They were able to prevent encirclement, and after several hours of fighting, the Nazi-Fascist forces abandoned the operation. This was one of the partisans' greatest military successes in the Pesaro area, especially considering the significant disparity in forces. Partisan Tommaso Cordelli and a farmer who was not taking part in the clashes died, and two partisans were wounded.
Continuing on, you reach the small and charming church of Madonna della Neve, whose feast day is celebrated every August 5th. Then you reach the village of Vilano, consisting of a few houses overlooking the valley that looks towards Cantiano and Pontericcioli.
We leave the paved road to take a wide dirt road that continues on a flat or slightly downhill path. The first stretch, flanked by woods, is very scenic and pleasant to walk. Then the road crosses the path WLK19 San Crescentino and continues to descend more steeply. Along the way, you'll encounter the ruins of Casa Serra, now devoured by ivy, and further down, the more recent buildings of Casa Pierle. The road ends at the Parish Church of San Crescentino and features a beautiful watchtower and, most importantly, a magnificent oak tree.
We continue on asphalt to reach the village of I Conti, slightly uphill, from where we return to the starting point in a few minutes.
Notable places
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