Discover what to do in Villaga: the festival of Sant’Anna, the valley of mills of Calto, the hermitage and covoli of San Donato, Monte Tondo. Do you want to know more? First of all…
Where is Villaga located?
The municipality of Villaga borders to the north with Zovencedo, to the north-east with Barbarano Mossano, to the south with Sossano, to the east with Barbarano Mossano and Albettone, to the west with Val Liona and Sossano.
The festival of Sant’Anna
The celebration of Sant’Anna, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, takes place on July 26 but the festivities in her honor do not always coincide with this date. The 2022 edition was held from July 29 to 31 and from August 5 to 7.
Unmissable appointment for food lovers, the fair features large dining areas where you can savor succulent rib steaks, braciole, spare ribs and sizzling sausages grilled over coals as well as slices of polenta on the grill (just to name a few of the dishes from the rich menu) to be paired with local wines and pints of beer to quench your thirst during the hot summer days.
The program also includes large dance floors for ballroom dancing, the classic charity raffle and homemade sweets.
If you are wondering what to do in Villaga and are looking for fun events to fully enjoy the beautiful season celebrating the gastronomic excellence of a fertile and healthy land, attending the festival of Sant’Anna might be just right for you!
To stay updated on the latest news regarding the event, you can check the Facebook page Comitato sagra Villaga.
The valley of mills of Calto
The starting point of the route is the parking lot in Via Costa in the shade of lush linden trees in the hamlet of Pozzolo (45.406074770090676, 11.498078327537105). Alternatively, another free parking lot is located in Via Alessandro Manzoni (45.40420093033107, 11.500123835938245), less than 300 meters away.
Proceed northwest along Via Alessandro Manzoni. After about 750 meters, leave the cemetery on your right and take the left onto Via Calto. Take the path marked by a fence in the shade of majestic firs, black poplars, Atlas cedars, cypresses, American black walnuts, birches, field maples and elms, just to name a few of the tree species that cloak this charming location in the Berici hills, then cross the pedestrian crossings and go down the road that leads to the valley of the mills.
Enclosed by the massive wooded bulk of the Berici hills, the grassy valley dotted with primroses and snowdrops is crossed by clear streams that, channeled into stone ditches veiled with moss, feed the wooden wheels of centuries-old mills. Approaching the ancient milling complexes, the roar of the waterfalls that shape rock walls covered with a dense tangle of roots and climbing plants becomes increasingly intense. In one of these inlets, a statue of the Virgin Mary has been placed on a limestone rock altar.
If you are wondering what to do in Villaga and wish to immerse yourself in the fairy-tale and timeless dimension of a pleasant natural oasis, visiting the valley of mills is certainly a recommended experience!
The hermitage and covoli of San Donato
To reach the hermitage of San Donato you can leave your car in Via S. Donato, (45.40515338458554, 11.520061831193496).
The hermitage of San Donato is a charming place of worship whose oldest testimonies date back to the 12th century. The thousand-year-old church sits on the side of a hill from which you can embrace with your gaze, to the east, the sunny plain that disappears on the horizon where the sinuous and pale profile of the Berici hills stands out like a mirage, to the west, the fascinating geological formation of marine origin called “covoli of San Donato”, an ancient coral cave petrified over millions of years and inhabited since prehistoric times.
Monte Tondo
To reach Monte Tondo, which offers a 360° view of the extraordinary and silent hilly landscape cloaked in dense forest vegetation, leave the hermitage on your left and, after passing the fountain, continue along Via S. Donato for 350 meters. At this point (45.40887735854798, 11.523204061014965), unless there are prohibition signs, take the white path that zigzags up the side of the mountain.
If you are wondering what to do in Villaga and are passionate about hiking, the effort of the walk will be rewarded by extraordinary scenery that enhances the lush landscape heritage of the area.
