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FOOTPATHS
"Arezzo-Anghiari"
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Mountain byke available on site free of charge
The CAI footpath NR. 102 (CAI is the Italian Alpine Club) links Arezzo with Anghiari crossing the footpath NR. 50 along the mountain ridge and in part coincides with the ancient Roman track called "Via di Pietramaia", passing by the Castle of Tarlati and the church of Sovara.
The path is 25.7 Km long, and is a very easy one, suitable for horse-riding, walking or mountain biking.
Our itinerary starts in the North-East outskirts of Arezzo, in an area called "Gli Archi". After coasting the aqueduct "Vasariano", you take an asphalt road up to San Fabiano (m 324) and then an unpaved road that leads to Case Nuove and to S. Polo (m 312).
After that you have to go uphill following the road to Poti, and leave it at the crossroads to Vezzano (m 576). You pass around the left of Mount Castellaccio and after Vezzano you take a footpath that goes down to Pietramala (m 460), where you can see the remains of the Medieval Castle 'Tarlati' and the water mill over the Chiasaccia stream.
After crossing the stream you start your way up to Casa Ceralta (m 577) and then walk along the mountain slope below the ridge; leaving "Ca di Peccato" on your left, you head to Mount Castiglione, where the path joins footpath NR. 50, just below the mountain (m 700); you keep going North along the NR. 50 footpath for 1 km until you get to the saddle between Mount Castiglione and Poggio Camugnana (m 687), where our path leaves NR. 50 and takes a right towards Montemercole, an old country house on the top of a low hill that slopes down to Sovara, following an unpaved road.
Past the Montemercole village (m 679), the road becomes rougher in the direction to Casale (m 616), where you can see a very old church. Leave the church on your right and continue towards Cologna della Via, following the track on the left that leads to C. Montirosi (m 500).
Keep walking and before you reach Vaglialle take a left and go down to the Sovara ford. You can also take a shortcut to Vaglialle (m 399) where you can find the church of San Biagio and the remains of a CASTRUM (Castle/Fortress in Latin) which once was part of the Middle Age fortified system that controlled the area. Fording the Sovara stream should not be a problem. In summer there is usually very little water. Once you get to the opposite bank, you can enjoy an easy walk across cultivated fields, along a gravel path that leads to Sovara church, where the path intersects with NR. 108.
The original construction of this church dates back to the end of VI century.
Between IX and X century it was turned into a church. The base up to 1 m of the apse wall is original, and you can see the typical pre-roman structure. The square bell tower on the side has four two-light windows and is a sign of the XIII century restoration that re-defined the XI and XII century operations. The inside is divided by the nave and two aisles aligned to the apses and by the 4 arches supported by typical Renaissance columns with a very neat design.
After visiting the church, the walk continues by the graveyard along a country road that goes uphill across the fields. Then you will find the junction with the asphalt road that goes to Anghiari, on the Maraville slope next to the Campo alla Fiera (m 450), and finally the S. P. 47 (Provincial Road).
In winter, when the Sovara stream flowrate is quite high, it is better to avoid crossing it. You can make a short detour towards Viglialle, going down to the narrow road with a bridge over the stream, and then following the asphalt road until you arrive at Anghiari.
Historical notes
Arezzo - S. Polo - Vezzano - Monte Castellaccio - Pietramala - Ca' di Peccato - Casale - Anghiari.
This footpath is a very important ancient track. It was the shortest way to go on foot or on horseback to Arezzo and to connect the Tiber Valley to the Valdamo-Valdichiana ways. Before Napoleon considered opening of the future "Strada Regia dell' Adriatico" (now the S. S. 73), which was completed by Duke Ferdinando, this was an essential trade route between the two valleys.
This importance is underlined by the presence of the two castles that controlled the area: Mount Castellaccio (whose cistern is the only remain we can see) and the Castello di Pietramala of the powerful Tarlati family, built on a rock that dominates the Chiassa stream ford. A bridge was built to facilitate trade exchanges, especially in winter. Today, only the ends of the bridge remain. Due to the large number of travellers, some hospitals were built along the way in the Middle Age: in S. Polo, in Vezzano and in Casale; the palace in Vezzano also had a roofed area give refuge to wayfarers, as did the two churches at the ends of the track, S. Paolo in S. Polo and SS. Annunziata in Sovara. An interesting recommendation for those who want to follow this ancient itinerary from Arezzo to Anghiari: there is a report of a similar excursion, done in the summer of 1837 by the nobleman Giovanni Guillichini. Stop for a moment among the remains of the Pietramala Cast where one of the crucial historical acts took place in 1384, marking the fall of Arezzo to the control of Florence.
The Arezzo forces were besieged in Bishop John's fortress but fell to "bombardments and weapons of all kinds" which were given by the Florentine Giovanni degli Obizi to Marco Tarlati, who tried in vain to remain barricaded in Bishop John's fortress.
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