Mu tour
T10
Level of difficulty
Type
Duration
1 hour 30 minutes
STARTING POINT
Victor Emmanuel Street
Municipality of departure
Willow Grove
Starting fee
379 m
POINT OF ARRIVAL
Victor Emmanuel Street
Municipality of arrival
Willow Grove
Arrival fee
379 m
Length of the route
13.3 km
MAXIMUM QUOTE.
785 m
Minimum fee
379 m
Uphill elevation gain
409 m
Downhill gradient
405 m
Charging column
Not present
THE PATH.
The easy and short route starts from the historic center of Saliceto, custodian of noteworthy cultural and artistic peculiarities such as the imposing Castle, the parish church of San Lorenzo and the chapel of San Martino.
Moving northward until it skirts the Bormida di Millesimo, the trail bends in the direction of the locality of Mu, where there is an interesting monument to peace, and then climbs toward the so-called Baraccone and thus plunges into the woods and environments typical of the upper Langa and Bormida valleys, under the embrace of chestnut, maple and hornbeam trees.
The dirt road later returns westward as it descends to the valley floor, tickles the Bric Castelvecchio and leads, in short order, back into the historic center of Saliceto.
LOCATIONS AND POINTS OF INTEREST
Saliceto Castle
Founded as a fortress between the 12th and 13th centuries, the building today stands as a mighty structure with a trapezoidal plan reinforced by three corner towers. Belonging first to the Bishop of Savona, then to the town of Asti and, from 1532, to the Marquis Dei Carretto, Saliceto Castle was temporarily chosen by Napoleon in 1796 as his headquarters. Of particular prestige are the 14th- and 15th-century frescoes still admirable in the ancient chapel.
Church of St. Lawrence
Built at the end of the 15th century at the behest of cardinal patron Carlo Domenico Del Carretto of Finale Ligure, the present parish church of Saliceto is one of the rare examples of Renaissance building in Piedmont. Built entirely of chiseled sandstone, it is rich in interior frescoes from different periods.
Chapel of St. Martin
Located in the locality of Lignera and once the town's ancient parish church, the chapel probably dates back to the 11th century and preserves several frescoes dated July 4, 1400 depicting, among others, the Annunciation, St. Anthony the Abbot, St. Dominic, St. Apollonia, St. Sebastian, St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Lucy in the triumphal arch, the Apostles on the sides of the chancel and St. Martin of Tours in the center of the apse.
Mu Peace Monument
Conceived and built in the post-World War II period by Don Bartolomeo Moretto and his sister Giuseppina in memory of the fallen soldiers in Russia from the hamlet of Mu and Saliceto in general, the monument is actually a heterogeneous complex comprising several statues, tombstones, memorial stones and crucifixes, linked by a common message of peace and brotherhood.
Local Specialties
Egg and goat cheeses: lying in the heart of the Bormida valley and surrounded by the embrace of the hills of the Alta Langa, home to sheep and goat cheese production since time immemorial, Saliceto could not but be characterized by a particularly rich and varied dairy production. Among the most popular varieties, then, were sheep giuncata (rindless, with a soft, moist texture and fresh flavor), sheep or goat ricotta, sheep yogurt (made from semi-skimmed milk), sheep primo sale (fresh or aged), and the typical Valbormidese bruz obtained by fermenting tumme and maintained by adding cheese and boiled milk.
Download gps coordinates of the route
All Mongibike tracks are also available on Tabui
