Monteforte D'alpone: History, Trails and Wine

Monteforte d’Alpone Between History and Wine

Monteforte d’Alpone combines historic religious buildings, religious imagery, trails through the countryside and the wine production of Soave Classico and Recioto di Soave. If you are looking for a place with varied attractions for your trip to Italy, you can experience culture, outdoor activities and regional culinary traditions here. When choosing a hotel, you may wish to consider whether you want to focus primarily on historical landmarks, walking and trekking trails or the wine-growing landscape.

Churches, Art and Traces of the Past

The Sant’Antonio Abate chapel stands on the hill with the remains of the former Monteforte castle. It was built between the late 13th and early 14th centuries. The castle’s former defensive tower has survived as the chapel’s bell tower. This site therefore combines the visible remains of the former fortification with a medieval religious building.

The chapel of Palazzo Vescovile houses a fresco of the Birth of Mary from 1534 by Francesco Torbido. The palazzo itself is also associated with a historic journey: in September 1581, it hosted Empress Maria of Austria for one night as she travelled to Spain with her brother Maximilian of Bohemia. In the parish church of Monteforte, the Cristo Moro, a large boxwood crucifix dating from 1500, is another historic work. The crucifix was restored and transferred to the parish church, which also contains frescoes by Giovanni Bevilacqua from the early 20th century.

Religious art and places of devotion can also be found at the Grotta di Lourdes. It is a replica of the Lourdes grotto with a statue of the Madonna and was inaugurated in early September 1948. Its features include a copy of the statue of Bernardette from Lourdes, made of Carrara marble. In Borgolecco, Benedetto Boniotti added the Oratorio di San Carlo Borromeo to the estate built by his family in the early 17th century. The former altarpiece of this oratory was created by Claudio Ridolfi; it depicted the Virgin Mary with the Child, as well as Saints Carlo Borromeo, Francis of Assisi and John the Baptist.

Trails Between Contrade, Fields and Vineyards

For a manageable hike, the Sentiero delle Contrade Storiche is a good option. The easy circular trail is 7.3 km long and runs between Brognoligo and Costalunga. Another option is Mons Fortis, passi nella storia. This municipal trekking route was designed for families and leads on foot or by bicycle from the Bishop’s Square through the oldest contrada to a wayside shrine on the edge of the town. The Sentiero tra Campi, Corti e Filari passes through the Monteforte countryside, with fields, vineyards, ditches, country roads and scattered farmsteads, and is almost entirely flat.

The Sentiero tra Campi, Corti e Filari is also designated for inclusive use with a wheelchair and a Joëlette. For regional transport, Monteforte d’Alpone is served by ATV bus routes 226 and X02. Mountain biking enthusiasts will also find a suitable thematic connection in the area surrounding the town.

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To the main travel overview: Verona.