Discover what to do in Torrebelvicino (VI): the castle of Belvicino, the Bondola festival, Val Leogra, Monte Emma. Want to know more? First of all…
Where is Torrebelvicino?
The municipality of Torrebelvicino borders to the northeast with Schio, to the northwest with Valli del Pasubio, to the south with Valdagno, to the east with Schio, to the west with Valli del Pasubio and Recoaro Terme.
Val Leogra and the Via Crucis
The scenic route of Val Leogra starts from the church of San Lorenzo at Via 25 luglio, 33. Alternatively, you can leave your car at the cemetery at Via Enrico Toti, 50.
From the parish, proceed north along Via 25 luglio until you reach the intersection of Via A. Rossi and Via Roma. Turn right and walk along Via Roma and Via Breganze for 450 meters, then turn left onto Via Leonardo da Vinci.
Follow Via Leonardo da Vinci for 350 meters, turn left and continue for about 70 meters. At this point turn right, cross the small bridge and take the path until you reach the village of Casalena.
Walk along the route westward along Via Casalena and Via Valle until you reach the hamlets of Rizzo, Collareda (where you’ll find the charming rural church), and Costalunga. After visiting the picturesque farmhouses surrounded by meadows enclosed by vast wooded areas, the next stop is Contrà Enna, from where you can enjoy spectacular panoramic views of wooded hills behind which the majestic pre-Alpine peaks tower.
From Piazza Arnaldo Fusinato head north following the signs for Contrada Maule, from whose dominant position you can embrace with your gaze the suggestive scenery marked by colossal mountains whose snowy ridges descend into slopes cloaked in lush forest vegetation dotted with tiny stone villages.
If you want to reach Forte Enna continue north, pass contrada Cortivo and advance until you reach the fork between Via Manozzo and Contrà Masetto. Turn right and walk along the road flanked by tall hedges. At the intersection with Strada del Prà Lungo (45.74611833608983, 11.297696309780962), turn right, then take the track on your right that winds along the side of the hill and leads to the fort and the cross of Monte Emma.
From contrada Maule, to return to the starting point, turn right and take the dirt path that runs southeast. Follow the signs for path 31 which leads to contrada Lago, after which follow the steep route keeping to the right and, passing through the contrada of Tezze di Rizzo, take the road leading to Rizzo from which you can return to the provincial road passing through contrada Toffanini.
The Bondola festival
The Bondola festival is held every year at the end of May (the 2022 edition took place from 20 to 29 May) to celebrate the tasty pork sausage after which the event is named.
Chopped separately, meat and pork rinds are mixed with salt, pepper, cinnamon and cloves, then kneaded again and stuffed into a pig or calf bladder which gives the product its characteristic round shape. The product is then tied by hand with kitchen twine, a delicate activity necessary for the proper preservation of the dish which, according to tradition, should be enjoyed on the day of preparation.
The exquisite specialty is boiled and served with sauerkraut, beans, lentils or polenta to be savored with local wines. An alternative recipe involves adding corned tongue to the mince (a preservation method that involves rubbing the tongue with salt, pepper, a pinch of saltpeter and letting it marinate with juniper berries and a few bay leaves).
In addition to passing down the delights of the territory resulting from ancient peasant knowledge, the festival includes musical events, karaoke and dance nights to let loose to the rhythm of your favorite songs.
If you are wondering what to do in Torrebelvicino and want to immerse yourself in the lively and jovial atmosphere of a charming town in the Vicenza area, with flavors and aromas that honor the gastronomic biodiversity of the Veneto region, participating in the Bondola festival might be just right for you.
