The best walks and hikes around Sovizzo

Nice cycle path, too many people on foot on Sundays

Nice stretch of dirt road along the river

Nice stretch of dirt road in the countryside

Nice stretch of dirt road along the river

Anyone who wants to lose themselves in a magnificent natural environment in a recreational and at the same time operational way, can venture into the so-called Percorso Vita, an equipped gymnastic path that winds for eight kilometers in the Montemezzo area, with an indicative travel time of a couple of hours. It is recommended for those who want to keep fit, those who want to carve out a bit of time away from traffic, those who love nature and also those who enjoy photography. On the climb of Monte San Pietro, just beyond the Sacello Ossario, you cross the Strada di Mezzo on the right, where the path in the green begins, corresponding to the indicative table with the map of the route. The relaxing excursion turns out to be a free body workout, allowing the use of special wooden equipment (balance boards, bars, inclined planes, etc.) in the various areas located along the path with instructive tables that show the exercises to be performed. The itinerary leads to the Fontanalunga district (familiarly “al Buzo”) and, passing the church of Montemezzo from which you can enjoy a wide panorama, you return to nature by taking the Stradella dei Mori, then passing over the splendid “deła Vècia” district to finally return to Via San Pietro. The walk is best appreciated with the scents and colors of spring and autumn and above all, for understandable reasons, if done in good company. Source: https://subvicum.it/tappe/percorso-vita/

Il principale affluente del torrente Onte, il rio Mezzaruolo, pare debba il suo nome al suo scorrere “in mezzo”, in quanto per conclamata consuetudine è considerato il confine fra l’abitato di Sovizzo Basso e di Sovizzo Alto, i cui rispettivi parroci diedero vita negli anni ‘20 ad una accanita disputa per la sovranità sulla contrada San Daniele. Proprio in questa località, dove il nome di questo corso d’acqua è garbatamente storpiato in Smerdarólo (che forse è proprio l’appellativo originario), un antico ponte lo attraversa: il ponte Balabardo. La data in numeri romani iscritta sul manufatto (1647) si riferisce evidentemente ad un rifacimento o a un restauro sostanziale in tempo di Serenissima, in quanto il ponte risale almeno all’arrivo a Sovizzo dei Longobardi (fine sesto secolo), come suggerisce anche il nome tramandato dalla popolazione. Forse un tempo era semplicemente un guado, poi acconciato opportunamente dagli invasori che lo etichettarono per sempre con il loro appellativo: Bara (carro) e Bard/ Bart (ascia/lancia). Del resto non mancano nel territorio di Sovizzo riferimenti a termini di origine longobarda: Garibaldo, Braio, Valgrossa, Pietraguarda, Bellaguardia… Il territorio di Sovizzo parla longobardo. Fonte: https://subvicum.it/tappe/orme-longobarde/

It is common to dwell on the charm of some places of worship, positioned high up and often with views of rare beauty, a fitting home for the divine. The church of Montemezzo is one of these places. Located at the highest point of the Sovizzo area, it offers the traveler from the churchyard an enchanting view of the Valle dell’Onte while, slipping out of a tunnel that flanks the church, one looks out onto the equally splendid Valdiezza. A building consecrated to worship was certainly present on the site since before the year 1000, probably connected to the ancient castle present in the area in the Middle Ages, and was damaged and destroyed repeatedly over the centuries. The current church dates back to 1622 and, as can be read on an evocative plaque, was requested by the Communitas Montismedi (Community of Monte di Mezzo). It preserves precious artistic testimonies in the structure of the altars by the Merlo brothers and Pietro Cavaliere, in the sculptures by Orazio Marinali and his workshop, and in the paintings, in particular in the canvas by Maganza that on the high altar represents the martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew, one of the apostles, to whom the church is consecrated. The salubrity of the air and the quiet of the place, with the statues of David and a frowning Moses standing sentinel from the façade, has made Montemezzo one of the favorite places of the Vicenza curia to send priests for periods of study, meditation or convalescence. For this reason, the rectory of Montemezzo has been visited by leading figures of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, who have always left an excellent memory to the supportive Communitas Montismidii. Source: https://subvicum.it/tappe/lassu-sul-monte-di-mezzo/

Visible even from a long distance, given its location on the first slopes of Montemezzo, the ossuary temple of Monte San Pietro was planned in the 1950s by the Combattenti e Reduci association with the intent of remembering all the Fallen of Sovizzo. The work was, in a certain sense, home-made: the project was drawn up by the local painter and teacher Giorgio Peron, the De Marchi Muzzani family donated the land, the construction of the wall section was carried out by a notable deployment of bricklayers and volunteers from Sovizzo, with the intervention of men and equipment from the US military base in Vicenza. The inauguration took place in 1965, with a large popular demonstration, followed by numerous representatives of combatant and military associations and with the presence of Don Giovanni Brevi, gold medal for military valor, chaplain of the Julia division, veteran of Russia. In the basement of the Ossuary, composed of small urns, are collected the remains of 27 Fallen recovered from the battlefields, while on the internal walls are placed the tombstones with the names of the 79 Sovizzesi Fallen or missing in the two world wars. In the chapel is also preserved an urn with the remains of the Alpine soldier Roberto Pozza, who died in service in 1959 in Valle Aurina during the rescue operations of the population hit by an exceptional flood. The site traditionally hosts commemorative events for the days of November 4th and April 25th. Every day, at dusk, a recording with the tolling of the Bell of Rovereto, the Maria Dolens, is broadcast from the Ossuary broadcasting system. Source: https://subvicum.it/tappe/ossario-monte-san-pietro/