Discover Sona: Morainic Hills, History and Trails

Sona lies in the morainic hills and is characterized by vineyards, olive groves and cherry trees. The cultural landscape includes rural farms, historic churches and villas; individual buildings such as La Guglia and Villa Belvedere are also associated with sweeping views over the surrounding area.

Trails through Hills and Cultural Landscapes

The Cammina San Giorgio project comprises seven routes suitable for pedestrians and cyclists in San Giorgio in Salici. The routes vary in difficulty and length. They include steep climbs as well as quiet unpaved stretches that often lead to panoramic viewpoints.

The Tunnel dell’Amore runs between two branches of the Tione River through wooded slopes and has a pleasant microclimate. Individual buildings are also closely connected with the landscape: La Guglia is a round tower built at the same time as Villa Trevisani Calderara and associated with views over the surrounding area. Villa Belvedere stands on a hill; its 360-degree view extends from Lake Garda to the Berici Hills and the Lessini Mountains.

Towers, Churches and Historic Villas

The 14th-century Torre Scaligera stands on a 200-metre-high hill and is 17 metres tall. It formerly served as an observation point. In the Church of San Giorgio Martire, the bell tower was built in 1788 to a design by the architect Trezza; it contains a peal of thirteen bells. The façade fresco by Orazio Celeghin, completed in 1933, depicts Saint George on horseback killing a dragon with his lance.

The parish church of San Giacomo e Santa Giustina preserves paintings from the 17th to the 19th century as well as a movable polychrome wooden crucifix from the early 16th century. The origins of the Church of San Quirico e Giulitta date back to the 15th century. During the plague of 1630, the Dominicans used it as a hospital; it also contains a Crucifixion fresco attributed to the school of Liberale da Verona. The Pieve di Santa Giustina dates from around the year 1000. It was built using Romanesque techniques from masonry blocks made of morainic material arranged in a herringbone pattern.

Further examples of sacred art can be found in the parish church of San Salvatore, with its marble altars and late Baroque stucco work. The Arbor Redemptionis fresco depicts the history of salvation and covers an area of 240 square metres. The Church of San Rocco stands in Località Fornelli on a meadow shaded by centuries-old trees. According to tradition, it was built in 1511 in thanksgiving for surviving the plague; when clearing the fields, local residents used salvaged morainic pebbles. Beside the church lies an erratic boulder that arrived there during the last Ice Age. The bagolar, also known as pirlar, belongs to the species Celtis australis, is described as a national botanical monument of the area, and has a circumference of 2.85 metres and a height of 19 metres.

Museums and Rural Heritage

The Museo Paleontologico e dell’Origine del Territorio Attilio Fedrigo displays several hundred fossils from Italy and abroad. It provides an overview of the development of life forms from the earliest periods, including the Paleozoic era more than 500 million years ago, up to a period several thousand years ago. The Museo Storico Baita Monte Baldo is organized around the themes of rural civilization and wartime. The Baita Monte Baldo Historical Museum includes a mushroom exhibition and a permanent photography exhibition.

The historic cultural landscape also includes several villas and rural farms. Villa Trevisani Calderara is a 19th-century villa set in a park with centuries-old trees. Villa Koelliker – also known as Giarola Previtali and Villa Eire – lies on the Sona hillside, facing towards Verona, in a large park with numerous plant species and a pond. In 1892, Giuseppe Previtali built it as a summer residence in Località Giarola, near an old chapel dating from 1703. Villa Consolaro Turata in the centre of Sona was a Jesuit monastery until the Napoleonic suppression.

The Colombaron is a 16th-century rural farm on the eastern slopes of Sona; its name derives from the large dovecote tower. In the hills of San Giorgio, rural farms lie among the cultivated areas; in addition to residential and farm buildings, many were equipped with dovecote towers or watchtowers. Ca’ Vecia is a rural farm in Cavecchie dating back to the 16th century and is now used as an accommodation facility. Villa Spolverini Schizzi Fiorini Recchi preserves the only remaining brolo among the many that once existed in the municipality.

The Colle d’Oro sul Lago agricultural enterprise in Palazzolo di Sona is also part of this cultivation-oriented landscape. In the morainic hills, it includes an olive grove, a small vineyard, a kiwi garden and a rose garden.

Other Destinations in the Area

Around Sona, the Museo Nicolis is a museum, Parco Natura Viva is a zoo, and Castello Scaligero is a castle. Padri Redentoristi, a monastery, is also located nearby. The Associazione Amici dei Civici Musei d'Arte di Verona is a museum in the area around Sona. Porta Palio, Arco dei Gavi and Porta Borsari are each natural arches there. Other destinations around Sona: Ganfardine, Ferrara Di Monte Baldo, Mazzano, Bonavigo, Via I Maggio Mediana Dell'industria, Pressana, Bevilacqua and Sandra.

To the higher-level travel overview: Verona.