from Pierosara to Serra San Quirico
The top point of the second stage of the TraversaMarche tour is the panoramic Monte Murano, which is also the maximum elevation of the entire route, with its 882 m, and offers a magnificent view in all directions.
The stage begins in Pierosara, a picturesque and charming village in the area of Frasassi, crosses a verdant and flowery territory, and ends in the characteristic village of Serra San Quirico.
The most trained walker will be able to join this stage with the next one, which leads to Cupramontana, thus totaling about 25 km.
You start from Pierosara,
take the road on the right of the small church,
gradually moving away from the village,
heading towards Cerqueto:
In Cerqueto you enter the village,
cross it to the right,
then turn sharply to the left, taking an easy path:
You climb it, on a modest slope.
In spring the gorses form two wings of flowering and fragrant bushes:
You continue straight ahead at a first fork,
slightly right at the next one,
then straight ahead:
Sometimes the view opens to the left, towards the north-west:
You finally come out of the woods,
getting shortly afterwards to a small road, which you take to the right:
You follow it on a gentle slope, and with wide views:
You pass a farmhouse,
then a telecom tower, passing on the left,
then you start to descend, and the view opens wider on the Vallesina:
You reach a building, the Agriturismo Monte Murano Country House (closed at the time when the author passed by it), and turn right,
taking the path that goes up to Monte Murano:
Go up until you reach the wood,
cross it,
and after a few steps you reach the cross:
The view from the cross on the Vallesina is incomparable, reaching the sea if the air is clear:
Taking a few steps to the actual summit, the view extends all around:
Towards the south-west, the ridge of Monte Valmontagnana stands out, and Pierosara can be seen:
You retrace our steps to the Country House, then descend towards the north-east,
taking as reference the poles of the electric line:
You soon spot a trail, and follow it, diverging from the electric line,
until you reach the forest, and a more evident path:
The path branches off in more points, and you can follow the wider variant (green track on the map), or take shortcuts:
After loosing most of the altitude, you reach a small road, which you cross (or you come along it, in the easy variant, and you turn right), to take the path that goes to the north-east:
You then pass beside a house,
where you turn left, again along a path:
You reach the outskirts of Serra San Quirico, where you leave the path to turn left onto a small road:
You descend through the streets of the town, towards the historic center:
You follow the walls to reach and take the small road that goes up towards the center:
At the central square (under renovation at the time in which the author was passing), there is the Loggia Manin, a sort of porch, from where you can see a beautiful view:
A narrow staircase leads to the top of the village:
A walk along the Copertelle, an ancient porch set into the walls of the village, is a must:
The second stage ends in Serra San Quirico. The author does not suggest a specific place to stay overnight, but the village offers several possibilities.
■ gb, 2019-06-13