Morfasso: Apennine landscape, hiking trails and culture
Accommodation in Morfasso
Morfasso combines the landscape of the Apennines with hiking trails, viewpoints and notable sites of regional history. At Mignano, on the border between Morfasso and Vernasca, the Arda River is impounded by a dam. This created a large artificial lake, which is clearly visible from the valley road between Lugagnano and Morfasso.
Nature between Monte Moria and Val d’Arda
An important natural area is Parco del Monte Moria. It covers more than 1,000 hectares in the municipalities of Morfasso and Lugagnano and protects the woodland on this Apennine slope. The park is free to enter and open every day around the clock. Monte Menegosa is also interesting for planning your trip: it forms a natural viewpoint overlooking Alta Val d’Arda and the neighboring Val Nure. This allows you to combine woodland, valleys and higher viewpoints without conflating the character of the individual places.
Hiking, cycling and active days
Parco del Monte Moria offers opportunities for cycling tours and hikes, including trails starting from the center of Lugagnano or the hamlet of Rustigazzo. The Lama e Menegosa loop trail begins in the village of Teruzzi. You can park your car there; Teruzzi lies at an altitude of 1,038 meters and is the highest village in Val d’Arda. In Morfasso, you can also go horseback riding, orienteering, mountain biking and rock climbing. Further access to Alta Val d’Arda and Morfasso is via Passo del Pellizzone from Val Ceno in the province of Parma. When choosing accommodation in Morfasso, you can therefore tailor the focus of your days to the trails, starting points and landscapes you want to experience.
Religious trails and architectural heritage
The Cammino di Santa Franca is an approximately two-hour religious hiking trail from Morfasso to the Santuario dedicated to the saint. The trail is marked with white-and-yellow markings. Another connection to Santa Franca is the Santa Franca Oratory, located at an altitude of 1,200 meters and about 6 kilometers from Morfasso. In the town itself, the Church of Santa Maria Assunta dates from the 16th century; its façade is Baroque. Alongside the landscape, these sites give a stay a religious and architectural dimension.
Memorial sites at Passo dei Guselli
At Passo dei Guselli, the Stele ai partigiani Caduti commemorates 33 partisans who died in the fatal ambush on December 4, 1944. The stele stands on Strada Provinciale 15, shortly before the village of Guselli when arriving from the direction of Morfasso. A historic information board is located next to it. It forms the fourth stage of the “Sentieri della Libertà” and provides information about the resistance in Val d’Arda and the events at Passo dei Guselli. The Comune di Morfasso, ANPI Provinciale di Piacenza and Museo della Resistenza Piacentina organize a memorial ceremony every year on a Sunday morning in December.
Other places in the surrounding area
Pianello Val Tidone, Croce, Castelvetro Piacentino, Piacenza, Oneto, Castell'arquato, Quartazzola and Bettola
To the higher-level travel overview: Piacenza.
