L'Ipogeo e le sue vie - Il Monte Cucco

Duration: 2 and '20 (approximately)

Distance: 8.3 km

Difficulty: difficult

Points of interest along the route: Hypogeum of Santa Maria in Stelle | Contrada Maroni | Capital of San Vincenzo | Contrada Monte Cucco | Capital of XVII sec. | Monastery of Sezano | Borgo "il Ghetto"

Not far away from the centre of Verona there is a place where you can live unforgettable experiences…

We are referring to Santa Maria in Stelle, a village easily reachable by bus, by bike or by car. Once arrived at the village, departing from the square, you can climb the ridge of Monte Cucco, enjoying a breathtaking view. 
 
This walk starts from and arrives at the Hypogeum of Santa Maria in Stelle, a site which has become symbol of the Valpantena and is commonly known as “Pantheon”. It is a precious archaeological site of Christian origin, a place of worship which is the only one of its kind and a tourist attraction, due to its important historic, artistic and cultural contents. The Ipogeo (from the Greek  ὑπό “under” and  γῆ “hearth” ) owes this name to its conformation: the site looks like an underground structure which branches under the parish of Santa Maria Assunta. 
 
After visiting this fascinating place, you can take the itinerary “Il Monte Cucco”, crossing farmland and forests of manna ashes and hornbeacles. After a long climb, initially uneven, you reach the capital of S. Vincenzo, dedicated to the miracle-worker San Vincenzo Ferreri and erected in 1899, located at the top of the hill of Monte Cucco. From here you can admire the suggestive panorama of the Valpantena and the Lessini mountains with the Monte Baldo group.

The ascent is followed by a short ups and downs on the ridge and then a suggestive descent between olive groves and beautiful vineyards, which touches the eastern side above the town of Sezano. After reaching the valley, in Cellore, the path starts a short ascent to reach the ancient Monastery of Olivetani of Sezano, of the 9th century. A place, today home of the Stimmatini Fathers, which is an ancient priory built in the ’500, where the monks lived of prayer and work, where time flows slowly and tranquility is supreme.

The route continues towards the village of Santa Maria in Stelle, but before reaching the starting point you can admire the village called “Il Ghetto” for its colorful houses and its cobbled streets and the washrooms, made of Prun and Rosso Veronese marble in 1837 and still one of the few in use in the province.
 
Please remember that if you want to visit the Hypogeum of Santa Maria in Stelle it is necessary to make a reservation, sending an email at the following address: info@ipogeostelle.it. For further information about visit modalities (days, turns, maximum number of visitors and costs) please check the official website: www.ipogeostelle.it. 

You can find information material for your visit at the Tourist Office.