mastro Orso

On the Christmas eve in
A.D. 800, the Pope Leone
III crowned Charlemagne
emperor. The king of Franks
made a long journey from Aquisgrana
to Rome. The same route
along the heart of Western Europe
has been rediscovered and
enhanced. The Lombard stretch
passes by some of the most striking
places of the region, among
some popular tourist sights and
minor villages, which are nevertheless
very interesting.
The Carolingian Road 1 st
stage: from Campione d’Italia
to Erba
The magnificent Lake Ceresio
and Lake Lario greet you at the
beginning of this historic route.
You will start in Campione,
which hosts the renowned casino.
Please bear in mind that you
will find few real cycle tracks,
but, nevertheless, you will ride
along byroads, which are not
busy. The steep slope of Arogno
is eased by the charming natural
glimpses. Afterwards, you will
descend through Val d’Intelvi, a
beautiful natural scenario that
hosts some outstanding villages
and artistic sights. The descent
towards Argegno leads you to the
Regina National road and the
Lake Como. From here you will
ride northward surrounded by an
enchanting scenery: you may
visit the astonishing Isola Comacina,
the churches in Ossuccio,
Villa Balbianello in Lenno
and Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo.
From here, take the ferry
that crosses the lake towards
Bellagio, which is another gem
with its alleys and historic villas.
The 583 National road coasts
the lake at first (with beautiful
views over the Grigne Alps),
then leads you to Valassina,
across Valbrona. Here, once you
have passed by Asso and Canzo,
you will find one of the most
charming stretches of the entire
route, the cycle track of Lake
Segrino. Then, the road descends
towards Erba, whose historic
centre reveals several interesting
sights, such as the Romanesque
Chiesa di Sant’Eufemia.
The Carolingian Road 2 nd
stage: from Erba to Bergamo
The first hills in the upper
Brianza host the first stretch of
your second stage: Bosisio Parini,
Sirone, Castello di Brianza
and Olgiate Molgora are surely
worth a visit for they historic
sights nestled in some outstanding
scenarios.
Once you have crossed the Adda
River in Brivio (where you see
the ancient castle), you will enter
the territory of Bergamo.
Here you will be able to avoid
several stretches of the busy 342
National road, proceeding across
the countryside of Odiago.
The Monastero di Pontida,
renowned for the famous oath,
is the most popular gem among
the historic churches in the area.
In Ambiviere you will turn eastwards,
crossing the last part of
the plain before the first rises of
Monte Albenza: here you will
arrive in San Tomè, a Lombard
Romanesque masterpiece. Once
you have crossed the Brembo
River in Villa d’Almé, you will
head towards Bergamo, paying
attention to the motor traffic.
The capital of the province,
which is divided in an Upper
Town and a Lower Town, has
been mesmerizing the visitors
with his medieval and French
environments for ages.
The Carolingian Road 3 rd
stage: from Bergamo to Soncino
Along this route you will discover
churches and castles, which
are the remnants of many ancient
dominations in the area of
Bergamo. The land is called
Calciana and is based between
the Lake Serio and the Oglio River.
Once you have left the
conurbation behind, what you
will see first is Castello di Malpaga,
a stronghold of Bartolomeo
Colleoni. Along some
country roads you will be led to
Ghisalba, Martinengo and Romano
di Lombardia; they are
villages with a strong agricultural
character and an untouched
ancient urban structure. In
Calcio (a village after which the
area takes its name) you turn
southward, coasting Parco Oglio
Nord among irrigation ditches
and rows. Soncino, where the
route ends, is a remarkable gem,
with its Fortress, the well preserved
walls and the interesting
Museo della Stampa (Museum
of Printing).
The Carolingian Road 4 th
stage: from Soncino to
Castiglione delle Stiviere
Along this fourth stage, you will
enter the plain of Brescia, with
a typical agricultural character.
Once you have crossed the
Oglio River, you will pass by
Orzinuovi, the rival of Soncino
at the time of the wars between
Milan and Venice. After Manerbio,
the Carolingian route
will lead you to Calvisano,
whose medieval splendour will
open to you with ancient houses,
porticos and, in particular,
the imposing civic tower. In
Carpenedolo, you cannot miss
the steep slope towards Monte
Rocchetta, an enchanting viewpoint
that overlooks the surrounding
plain.
The route ends in Castiglione
delle Stiviere, a village rich of
art. It introduces you to the territory
of the Colline Moreniche
del Garda (the Morainal Hills
of the Lake Garda).
The Carolingian Road 5 th
stage: from Castiglione delle
Stiviere to Soave
The Mantuan hills embrace the
tourists among vineyards and
cypresses. They reveal historic
and natural glimpses that are always
a new surprise. The route
passes by several big local tourist
resort, from Solferino (where
the famous battle took place) to
Cavriana, which hosts the
charming Romanesque parish
church of S. Maria. From Volta
Mantovana, with its characteristic
historic centre, you will ride
towards Goito, where the famous
poet Sordello was born;
he was mentioned by Dante in
The Divine Comedy.
From here, the country roads of
Parco del Mincio will spare you
the traffic, allowing you to easily
reach Soave, very close to
Mantova , the magnificent capital
of the Gonzaga family’s
Duchy.
56 On the trail of Charlemagne • The Carolingian Road
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