Fontanaluccia: Trails, Bells and Dam

Fontanaluccia combines trails through chestnut groves, a striking dam and an unusually diverse history of bells. Those looking for a holiday apartment in Fontanaluccia can therefore discover the village according to very different interests: as a starting point for a historical hiking route, as a setting for local sacred culture or as a destination for anyone who wants to combine landscape and history.

Hiking between chestnut groves and historic trails

The Sentiero Matilde begins at the parish church of Fontanaluccia and leads up the slopes of Monte Roncadello through a chestnut grove. From the very beginning, it becomes clear how closely the village is connected with the surrounding slopes and the old routes. Another concrete point of reference is stage 8B of the Via Matildica del Volto Santo: it is 13.8 km long and includes 1,426 metres of ascent and 756 metres of descent. You should take these figures into account when planning your day.

Stage 8B passes through Fontanaluccia and follows the historic Via Bibulca there, also known as the Via Imperiale. This makes it possible to combine a hike with a named historic route section without reducing the route to a purely natural experience. The Sentiero dei Castagni Secolari offers a different focus. One section of this trail is also called Sentiero del Rosario and includes the corresponding stations; it was initiated by Don Mauro Prandi, the parish priest of Fontanaluccia.

Dam, lake and geological features

The landscape includes the Fontanaluccia basin, an artificial lake formed by a concrete dam with sandstone cladding. The geological sequence of the Cervarola is also well exposed at the Fontanaluccia dam. Travellers who are interested in hydraulic engineering and geology as well as trails will find a distinct focus here.

The dam supplies the Farneta hydroelectric power station via a tunnel excavated into the solid rock. The small Muschioso hydroelectric power station can also be seen from the dam; it is considered inaccessible to visitors. For your planning, this means that the dam and its surroundings are suitable as a landscape and technical landmark, while the power facilities mentioned should not be planned as regular sightseeing destinations.

Bells, church and local history

The parish church is not only the starting point of the Sentiero Matilde. The present-day church of Fontanaluccia dates from 1836, and its bell tower contains four bells named GROSSA, MEZZANA, MEZZANELLA and PICCOLA. They were cast in 1896 by the old Bimbi foundry. In the 19th century, two bell foundries were active in Fontanaluccia. The Giovanni Battista e Lodovico Bimbi foundry, commonly known as Fonderia Bimbi, was the village’s best-known and longest-active bell foundry.

Bimbi bells were highly valued throughout the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, including the Garfagnana and Versilia. This regional influence makes the bells an important gateway to the local history. The Gruppo Campanari Fontanaluccia also aims to revive the hand-ringing of sacred bells according to the Tuscan method. For travellers interested in culture, this creates a theme that connects craftsmanship, religious tradition and the history of the village.

Memorial sites and festival traditions

Fontanaluccia is also connected with the history of the Resistance. The Claudio partisan battalion, under the leadership of Ermanno Gorrieri, settled in Fontanaluccia. The Fontanaluccia partisan hospital was a unique humanitarian experience involving the civilian population as well as British, American, Russian, German and Republican soldiers. This history adds a more serious historical dimension to the natural and bell-related themes.

Annual San Rocco celebrations on 15 and 16 August are also recorded for Fontanaluccia. If you want to organise your trip around cultural themes and local traditions, these dates are part of the village’s recorded festival history.

Which accommodation suits your travel plans?

When looking for a holiday apartment in Fontanaluccia, you can first decide on your preferred focus. For an active trip, the length and elevation figures for stage 8B are important planning data. Those who prefer to alternate between landscape and culture can include the Sentiero Matilde, the dam, the history of the bells and the historic memorial sites in their selection. Families with different interests can place various ideas for day trips side by side without limiting their stay to just one theme. What matters is which combination of hiking trails, hydraulic engineering, local history and tradition suits your trip.

For further searches for suitable destinations, you can also view Ponte Gombola, Formigine, Soliera, Bastiglia, Ca Di Sola, Finale Emilia, Fiorano Modenese and Colombaro.

For the overarching travel overview: Modena.