From Centrale di Zugliano to Contrà Marola in Chiuppano: it's the route that winds through the Igna Valley (also Fontanelle Valley) and Contrà Tavàni, an easily accessible path suitable for everyone, which also includes some stretches on asphalt roads. The Igna Valley is the largest and deepest among those descending from the southern slope of the Bregonze and it cuts through the entire southwestern sector of the hilly complex with its articulations. Further east, the Sant'Andrea Valley and the Grossa Valley have significantly smaller developments.
As the Igna River reaches the plains, it flows through the village of Centrale di Zugliano, and later merges with the Timonchio, much further down, outside the hilly-prealpine context. The route, although not marked, is clear and easy, with an elevation gain of 237 meters and an estimated walking time of an hour and a half. Since there's no parking at the entrance of the Igna, it's recommended to park in Centrale. From the square of the hamlet, you can reach the bridge over the Igna towards Carrè in just 5 minutes. Before crossing it, take the small road to the right along the river. You'll pass by the shrine of the Dead (up on the open meadows to the right) and the Rosta, where water was channeled for the village. Walking on a road lined by neatly arranged mulberry trees, you'll arrive at the area "delle Fontanelle".
The road, lined for long stretches by the ancient military paving stones, arrives, now bordered by poplars, at the open area of Prà Largo and then Prà Grande. Here, the valley widens. The stream, with its alders, escapes on the left. Here, the Igna valley receives from the right the valley of the Spillere, at the mouth of which widens the Prà dei Radici or de Tognèla. With a wide open curve, you reach the bridge over the Igna. After crossing the watercourse, the ascent becomes steeper, and amid open grassy clearings and recent mulberry trees, you arrive at the Tavàni bridge and the asphalt of the Carrè-contrà Tavàni road. At the intersection, the old washhouses still remain where the women used to wash clothes, while the nearby bridge still retains, in its sturdy structure, its military origin.
After crossing the bridge, the military road continues to the left. Proceed along the asphalt road that ascends, offering views of the just ascended Igna valley and the Pre-Alpine mountain groups. With two or three hairpin bends through vineyards, you reach the small square of contrà Tavàni. The district offers the pleasant surprise of small farmers who still maintain the traditional stable. Among the houses, you pass by the shrine to the Madonna and ascend to the upper agricultural complex overlooking the Spìllere valley. Continue to the left on the deep dirt road that climbs to the cottage area along via Costa Diana.
As you ascend, the panorama over the Pre-Alps becomes vast: despite the modest altitude, you can see the nearby Foraoro-Paù, Toraro, and Priaforà, extending towards the Carega-Marana group; behind, the strip of plain between Thiene and Schio stretches out. Soon, you emerge onto the Cà Vecia-Fratta-Carrè road. Follow it for a hundred meters to the left, then ascend the steep dirt road to the former Casa Dal Bianco (now transformed into a large villa). Lined with acacias, the road levels out towards contrà Pòn, now on the hilltop at an altitude of 388 meters. The rustic stretch of the hamlet can be visited by temporarily veering uphill, while the white road continues eastward, at the base of Mount Grumo Casaro, leading shortly to the dense tree-lined area of roccolo Moschèle, now a birdwatching site managed by the natural history museum of the Bregonze.
Through pleasant views of fields and vineyards, with clear vistas of the nearby mountains of Caltrano and Calvene, in 7/8 minutes, you reach the square of Marola. Here stands the Madonna del Sangue chapel, built in the late 1800s thanks to the emigrants’ contributions. The houses, once made of red brick and black basalt stone, have been recently renovated, with some still adhering to the old typology. With a stretch towards "cavedàgna" on Pian de Marola, in another 5/6 minutes, you arrive at the reservoir of the Chiuppano-Carrè aqueduct, at the highest point of the Bregonze (422 m). A vast panorama unfolds over the nearby southern slope of the Sette Comuni and the middle Astico valley.
(GdV, domenica 28 gennaio)