Exploring the Oltrepò Pavese is like plunging into an adventure book, with each page revealing new emotions and discoveries. Today, we delve into the suggestive Rile San Zeno Valley, a hidden jewel among enchanting landscapes and natural treasures
«camminandoinoltrepo» accompanies us once again among the evocative roads and paths of the Oltrepò Pavese, in a world of cultural and landscape treasures just waiting to be discovered. Today we will immerse ourselves in the beauty of the Rile San Zeno Valley, following the Rivetta-Oliva Gessi ring.
With a distance ranging from 9 to 10.7 kilometres and an altitude difference of 100 to 270 metres, this route of approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours and 5 minutes offers a fascinating mix of mixed roads.
The adventure begins at the start in Fumo, Via Rivetta-Frazione Fontana. The route immediately reveals its essence, starting from the intersection of Via Rivetta and Strada della Camarà, where the Casa Arbasino, also known as the ‘long house‘, stands out, a place steeped in history linked to the writer from Voghera, a witness to the wartime times he experienced as a teenager.
We then proceed along the Strada Camarà, skirting the course of the Rile di San Zeno, encountering chalk outcrops, a variety of vegetation and even a sulphurous-magnesian spring. At every step, breathtaking views of picturesque hillside villages and expanses of vineyards open up, giving us timeless emotions.
After 2 kilometres, we arrive at the "Fonte di Camarà", a place with a sulphurous-magnesian water spring and an old, now disused quarry, leaving the right bank of the torrent to continue our walk on the other bank.
Continuing along the track, we first reach the asphalt road and then cross the road connecting Oliva Gessi to Calvignano, near the Case di Val Cevino. Here, we turn left, cross the Rile again and, a few metres from the small bridge at Località Molino del Cevino, we take the cart track that climbs gently up the hill, offering an enchanting view (or we can continue along the asphalt road in the direction of Località Fossa).
Following this road, we finally reach the asphalt of Provincial Road 46 and turn left, heading towards Oliva Gessi. This pretty village, with its medieval roots, deserves a stop to be admired and appreciated in all its beauty.
We return by following the Provincial Road in the direction of Corvino San Quirico, accompanied by the sight of picturesque rural buildings and the majesty of the parish church. We pass through the hamlets of Fornace and La Novellina, finally reaching the fork in the road at Frazione Oratorio, where the little church of the Madonna della Neve invites us to turn left.
Continuing along Via Mazzolino, we rejoin Strada Camarà, thus completing our fascinating journey through the wonders of the Rile San Zeno Valley.
And so, with the smell of nature and the breath of history still vivid, this fascinating walk comes to an end. Good adventure to all who venture along these paths steeped in beauty and timeless charm.
