The classic route for lovers of easy walks, perfect for taking at a leisurely pace with children in tow. The route starts from the main square in Monteforte d’Alpone ( VR) and winds through the Soave and Recioto vineyards of the surrounding hills, along charming trails dotted with evidence of popular devotion. Along this route, which spans just a few kilometers, you’ll have the chance to admire a 360-degree panoramic view stretching “ as far as the eye can see” over the Po Valley and the foothills of the Veronese Pre-Alps.
The Ten Shrines Trail is a circular route that winds through the beautiful vineyards of the rural area surrounding and above Monteforte d’Alpone over a distance of approximately 8 kilometers . Open year-round, the trail is marked by wooden signs, with additional signs clearly listing the names of the shrines—or votive shrines—that you’ll encounter along the way. The starting and ending point is Piazza Silvio Venturi, next to the beautiful 19th-century church of Santa Maria Maggiore with its monumental portico featuring eight Corinthian columns. From here, the route heads toward the rolling hills that encircle the Val Ponsara and separate Monteforte d’Alpone from Soave. The leisurely stroll will be punctuated by ten stops, the
ten capitals which, in order, are dedicated to: the Virgin Mary with Jesus, Saint Peter, the Holy Family (also known as the “Capitel del Foscarin”), the Virgin Mary with the Child, Saint Vincent Ferrer (patron saint of vineyards against hail), Bassanella, Saint Joseph, Christ on the Cross, Regina Pacis, and Saint Rocheto. The elevation along the walk ranges from 38 meters above sea level at Piazza Venturi to 201 meters at the third capital, “del Foscarin.”
Don’t miss it
Once you reach the area near the third wayside shrine—the one dedicated to the Holy Family or Foscarin, the highest point along the walk—you can stop and admire the splendid view of the surrounding countryside.
The circular trail, featuring 10 shrines and stretching approximately 8 km, winds through the vineyards of the historic area and is open year-round.
The entire route is marked with wooden signs, while other signs indicate the names of the various shrines you’ll encounter along the way. The starting point for this walk is Piazza Silvio Venturi, and these are the shrines you’ll encounter:
1) Madonna and Child; 2) St. Peter; 3) Holy Family (Foscarin capital); 4) Madonna and Child; 5) St. Vincent Ferrer; 6) Bassanella; 7) St. Joseph; 8) Christ on the Cross; 9) Regina Pacis; 10) St. Rocheto.
“Ten capitals: ten among the many that, here and there, bear witness to the hardships of life, but also to people’s dreams and hopes, sustained by piety.”
The first one you come across along the beautiful promenade in Monteforte d’Alpone, after setting out from Piazza Venturi, stands at the edge of the narrow road connecting Val Ponsara with Valle dell’Acqua, right where they meet the plain. It depictsthe Madonna with Jesus ( 1): a handcrafted piece, without any aesthetic pretensions; but art is not what matters here. A few steps further on, a view opens up of a farmhouse watched over by three pine trees, nestled among the gentle undulations of the hills. Turn left, and the road begins to climb at a gentle slope, but after a brief level stretch, it rises steeply. But as you emerge from a curve, the wayside shrine of San Pietro ( 2) invites you to stop: a sailboat of linear simplicity, erected (1980) at the edge of the farm by the Veneri brothers to honor the memory of the priest. This stop offers a view of a handful of houses in the Valle dell’Acqua and, beyond the Tramenalto, the Valvarina rising above the ridge that joins the Carega Group to the north. The climb resumes, and further on the road finally levels out a bit: to the left, peeking out from a bend in the hills, is the Scaligero Castle of Soave. You arrive at the Foscarin wayside shrine (3), dedicated to the Holy Family, at the foot of a barren, arid ridge—the highest hill in the area. Nearby, a few olive trees and a patch of locust trees, which bloom white in spring, add life to the landscape. Continuing on, take a path on the left that descends—at times steeply—to the fourth wayside shrine, where the Madonna and Child is located. Further on, take the road leading to Soave, and the landscape changes: several villages appear, nestled in the plain or clinging to the hillsides. Meanwhile, the outline of the castle becomes clearer, but once you come within sight of the outskirts of Soave, you’ll need to turn left and tackle the climb leading into the territory of Monteforte d’Alpone. The climb continues and ends right in front of the wayside shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer (4), protector of the vineyards against hail and, in turn, protected by a solitary, austere pine tree. This is the Pigno area. From here on, the route becomes fairly easy because the road winds almost entirely along the ridge. There is a detour that allows you to visit the 6th wayside shrine, that of Bassanella (6). In the niche, a somewhat naive painting depicts the Virgin Mary, to whom a specific prayer is addressed: “Bless the fruit of our labor.” Continuing along the slope facing Soave, you reach “Piazza Scheeti,” a sort of balcony overlooking the Po Valley. It’s worth stopping here to take in the breathtaking view. Sometimes, along the horizon, you can catch a glimpse of the Apennines, while to the right you can see the castle of Illasi. At the end of the detour, you return to the ridge road, cross the border between Monteforte and Soave, and reach the 7th wayside shrine, dedicated to St. Joseph (7). Shortly thereafter, you descend to the 8th wayside shrine: a Christ on the Cross (8), set within a triangular niche supported by a column.
Leaving Froscà on the left—with its clear paths cutting across the hillside—you enter the Zoppega area, where a wayside shrine was built in 1899 in honor of Our Lady Auxilium Christianorum, now known as“Regina Pacis”(9). Finally, you reach the last wayside shrine, that of San Rocheto (10), a reminder of the meetings that, in days gone by, the district’s “Parliamentarians” used to hold on the low wall in front of it. Just a few more steps and you’ll be back at the starting point, in the center of Monteforte d’Alpone.
