San Pellegrino Trail

The history

The San Pellegrino Trail is the evolution of ancient pathways that pilgrims traditionally followed from San Pellegrino Church in Reggio Emilia to the San Pellegrino and Bianco Sanctuary of San Pellegrino in Alpe, between Emilia and Tuscany, at the border among Modena and Lucca provinces.
In many villages of the Emilian Apennines, older people narrate that every August, it was a common tradition to go as a pilgrim to the Sanctuary, where are stored the relics of the Saints Pellegrino and Bianco (around 600 C.E.), as they used to live in this place after their long journeys. After the World War Two, this ancient tradition was fading away, and today we can retrace it only in places nearby the sanctuary.
From the 1990s onward, local communities and private citizens tried to restore this trail, eventually ended into the creation of this Path and in its subsequent integration into the Via Matildica del Volto Santo, union of the ancient pathways of the territories of Countess Mathilda of Tuscany that went from Mantua to Lucca, across the Pianura Padana and the Apennines.
The path follows the trails of CAI (Italian Alpine Club) of Spallanzani Path and Via Matildica del Volto Santo, among the different climate and biodiverse zones of Reggio Emilia Province, passing through unique landscapes and places full of history, intertwined with the cultural and religious meaning of this trail.

contacts and practical information

info@camminodisanpellegrino.it
https://www.camminodisanpellegrino.it/

Polisportiva Dilettantistica Montalto
Via Cà de Miotti 1
42030 Vezzano sul Crostolo (RE)
polisportivamontalto@gmail.com

This trail is divided into 5 stages, with an average distance of 20-25 kms per stage. The trail crosses the territories of Reggio Emilia, Quattro Castella, Vezzano sul Crostolo, Viano, Casina, Carpineti, Toano, Villa Minozzo, Frassinoro (Province of Modena) and Castiglione di Garfagnana (Province of Lucca). The total length is around 100 kms and the relative elevation gain is +4000m.
It does not present specific difficulties on the path and it was designed specifically to be entirely traversed also by mountain bike (around 95% of bike trails available).
For the most part, the trail follows the national network of CAI trails, particularly on the Spallanzani Trail, on the Via Matildica del Volto Santo, and Via Bibulca in Modena territory.
The signals on the trail are created with the typical yellow arrows and the Trail logo. The whole trail has been mapped with GPS devices, and the GPX track is available at this link.
The best moments to walk this trail are from April to mid-June, and from mid-August to mid-October, in order to avoid the high temperatures of the summer and potential difficulties and disruptions during winter, such as mud or heavy rains.
It is highly advisable to have proper gear and an adequate level of fitness before starting this trail.

The stages

There are 5 stages and they cover a distance of around 100 kms:

1 - From Reggio Emilia to Montalto di Vezzano, 20,7 km
2 - From Montalto di Vezzano to the Parish of San Vitale, 19,8 km
3 - From the Parish of San Vitale to the Parish of Toano, 19,8 km
4 - From the Parish of Toano to Gazzano, 20,4 km - Please pay attention at the signals and at the active warnings on the trail as there is an active landslide on this stage
5 - From Gazzano a San Pellegrino in Alpe, 17,5 km

All the detailed GPX tracks are available at this page on the Italian website