Marsaglia - Igliano
T16
Level of difficulty
Type
Duration
3 hours 20 minutes
STARTING POINT
City Hall Street
Municipality of departure
Marsaglia
Starting fee
580 m
POINT OF ARRIVAL
City Hall Street
Municipality of arrival
Marsaglia
Arrival fee
580 m
Length of the route
21.7 km
MAXIMUM QUOTE.
695 m
Minimum fee
411 m
Uphill elevation gain
834 m
Downhill gradient
827 m
Charging column
Not present
THE PATH.
An interesting loop trail that complements the T15, connecting Marsaglia with Igliano. It also follows the scenic ridge overlooking the Tanaro River and offers a spectacular view of the Cuneo plain and the western Alps.
From the center of Marsaglia, then, first proceed in the direction of Rocca Ciglié, then turn north and return to Marsaglia until taking the Cusina Trail belonging to the Deserta Langarum circuit.
Once you reach the village of Cusina, turn right downhill toward the chapel of Sant’Andrea and enter the center of Igliano, continuing along the so-called Sentiero Natura, also part of the Deserta Langarum trail. After passing the chapel of San Rocco and San Sebastiano, continue south, go past Bric della Croce, and head back (this time along the Sentiero Ricordi) toward Igliano, passing through Ponzino and the Vecchio Mulino.
Temporarily resuming the Cusina Trail, we cut perpendicularly across the slope moving northwest, pass the Madonna del Riposo chapel and finally re-enter Marsaglia.
LOCATIONS AND POINTS OF INTEREST
The Castle of Marsaglia
Built on a hill overlooking the town, the building (which is privately owned and therefore visible only from the outside) has an uncertain origin, though it retains the characteristics of a 16th-century stately home thanks to renovations commissioned by the Pensa family of Mondovì in 1560, who once owned the castle.
The Chapel of San Ponzio
The original building likely dates back to the 11th–12th centuries and consisted of a short nave flanked by two simple small pillars and covered by a gabled roof. Expanded in the 17th century, the chapel suffered a roof collapse in 1976, underwent an initial reconstruction in 1981, and was the subject of major restoration work in 2010. Inside, it houses a valuable cycle of 15th-century frescoes by Segurano Cigna.
The Chapel of San Rocco
Of uncertain origin, it is known as St. Roch or St. Sebastian by virtue of the interior pictorial depiction dedicated to both saints. Used, according to some, as a temporary lazaret, several frescoes have ended up underlain by quicklime for hygienic purposes. However, it preserves some valuable pictorial cycles dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Deserta Langarum
Under this phrase, historically linked to the statement by Otto I, who wrote in 970, “Transivimus per deserta langarum et reliquimus ea, sine tributo” [we passed through the deserted lands of the Langhe and left them without collecting any tribute], there is an association of the same name dedicated to promoting the region through specific events (“Appuntamento nei boschi” between Igliano and Torresina) and, above all, through the promotion and maintenance of designated trails. Five trails, in particular, are part of the Deserta Langarum network: the Art Trail (10.8 km), the Culture Trail (9.3 km), the History Trail (7 km), the Nature Trail (3.3 km), and the Val Cusina Trail (15.8 km).
Local Specialties
Dolcetto di Dogliani: considered to be one of the most widespread grape varieties in southern Piedmont, Dolcetto would seem etymologically to derive from dosso or hill (duset), although several scholars prefer to associate it with the sweetness of the pulp that is more easily perceived when tasting the grape than other classic Piedmont varieties. In the territory of Dogliani and twenty other municipalities in the Cuneo area, the Dogliani DOCG appellation is produced, with a strong and harmonious flavor and a finely almond aftertaste.
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