Montecapraro: Trails, Landscape and Sacred Sites

Montecapraro at 828 metres

Montecapraro lies on a plateau on the left side of the Curone at an altitude of 828 metres. The village is located on the provincial road to Bruggi. Outside the built-up area, the Montecapraro ridge drops steeply towards the Curone. The landscape around Montecapraro includes extensive grazing areas. There are mineral springs in the landscape around Montecapraro.

A plateau is an elevated, comparatively flat landform. A mountain ridge is an elongated elevation. A pass is a crossing in the mountains, while a watershed marks the boundary between drainage basins. At the Bocca di Crenna, both terms come together: the Bocca di Crenna is an impressive and windy pass on the watershed between Val Curone and Val Borbera.

Hiking trails through beech forest and the Apennine landscape

The Stalle Salogni–Rifugio Orsi trail is short, has no challenging elevation changes and is therefore also suitable for families. The trail can be combined with other trails in the surrounding area. The Stalle Salogni–Rifugio Orsi trail runs through a beech forest and leads to the “Ezio Orsi” mountain refuge.

The Sentiero Salogni–Monte Chiappo climbs through an extensive beech forest. The Sentiero Salogni–Monte Chiappo reaches the Bocca di Crenna. The trail leads to an important Apennine summit where the borders of Piemonte, Lombardia and Emilia meet. The focus of this route is therefore on a forest ascent, a mountain-pass setting and a summit at a tripoint.

Orientation on the provincial road

After passing through Montecapraro, you reach Salogni after a few kilometres. At the kilometre-5 sign on the provincial road, the entrance to the Sentiero Salogni–Monte Chiappo is on the right.

Church and chapel

The Church of San Giovanni Battista stands on the edge of the small settlement of Montecapraro. In 1788, the Church of San Giovanni Battista had five altars. The Chapel of the Madonna del Rosario contains the Mysteries of the Rosary from the early 18th century. The Chapel of the Madonna del Rosario has a stucco altar. A stucco altar is an altar decorated with stucco.

The Feast of the Madonna della Guardia

The Feast of the Madonna della Guardia was scheduled for 28 and 29 August 2024. The programme for the 2024 Madonna della Guardia feast included a concert and a torchlight procession through Montecapraro. The programme also included a procession and the blessing of cars and motorcycles. A procession is a communal religious march; in a torchlight procession, this march is accompanied by torches.

State Forestry Corps tree nursery

Montecapraro is home to the most important tree nursery of the State Forestry Corps. A tree nursery is a facility where young trees and woody plants are grown.

More travel destinations: Fabbrica Curone, Garadassi, San Sebastiano Curone.

To the higher-level travel overview: Alessandria.