San Matteo: Mountain Hamlet, Curnis Auta and Cycling Tour

San Matteo is one of the two mountain hamlets in the municipality of Valgrana. Two different route connections make the place interesting for travel planning: Stage 7A of the Curnis Auta starts in the hamlet square, while a cycling tour passes through San Matteo and then returns to Cuneo. The restoration of a chapel in the Valgrana area also offers a cultural glimpse of the surroundings. This makes it possible to plan your stay around specific interests: a stage that starts in the hamlet, a cycling tour through several places, or a look at local restoration work.

San Matteo and finding your way around

San Matteo belongs to the municipality of Valgrana and is one of its two mountain hamlets. You can reach the hamlet via the small road near the Confraternita in Villa. At the Ciari junction, turn left. This route leads directly to the starting point of the Curnis Auta stage: the hamlet square. This gives you a specific point of reference for planning, since the route described does not begin at another named place but in San Matteo itself.

Stage 7A of the Curnis Auta

Stage 7A starts in the hamlet square on a gravel road. From there, it climbs steadily and reaches the connection to the ridge leading to Chiot Rosa at an altitude of 1,292 metres. The starting point, surface and route give the stage its own character: it starts in San Matteo and climbs from there to the ridge. If you are planning a trip around this stage, you can focus on a specific place to begin your tour. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

A cycling tour through the hamlet

Another way to include San Matteo in a tour is a cycling route from Cuneo. It passes through Cervasca, Bernezzo, Vallera and Valgrana, then continues through the hamlet. The return to Cuneo is via Valgrana, Bottonasco, Caraglio, Passatore and via della Grangia. San Matteo lies on a route that connects several places and returns to its starting point in Cuneo. This distinguishes the tour from Stage 7A: in this case, the hamlet is part of a longer loop, whereas the stage begins with a climb directly from the square.

This offers a useful comparison when choosing your travel itinerary. The Curnis Auta focuses on starting in San Matteo and climbing steadily to the ridge. The cycling tour, by contrast, places the hamlet on a sequence of places between Cuneo and the return there. If you are planning with family or a group, you can discuss which of these types of tour better suits the interests of your trip. This links your choice of stay to specific activities, rather than treating both routes as equivalent options.

Restoration in the Valgrana area

The Chapel of Saints Bernardo and Mauro is located in the Valgrana area. It was restored to address structural and conservation issues. During the work, the decorative paintings were also uncovered and consolidated. The restoration therefore combines two aspects: preserving the building and caring for its decorative features. This cultural connection adds another topic to route planning and makes Valgrana interesting from a heritage conservation perspective as well.

When looking for a holiday apartment in San Matteo, you can first consider which of these interests will shape your trip: starting a stage in the hamlet, cycling through several places, or the cultural connection to the restoration work in Valgrana. These points offer a factual guide to choosing your destination without presenting the different routes as a single shared itinerary.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Vezza D'alba, Santo Stefano Belbo, Canosio, Pocapaglia, Breolungi, Artesina, Mombarcaro, Castellino Tanaro.

For the main travel overview: Cuneo.