Little towns and churches by camper

How many times does it happen to us to go by camper to little towns and churches? Perhaps, not many times because they often do not know each other or are not valued because they are located very close to the major roads and motorways and we tend to go further.

Follow us, we make you take a different path…

• Bardone and Terenzo

From the A15 or Autocamionale della Cisa exit the Fornovo Taro tollbooth, cross the bridge over the stream of the same name, pass the town and enter the SS62 della Cisa, take the crossroads for Calestano, on the Valsporzana. At about 8 km you cross the junction for Bardone.

The history of Bardone tells of Lombard origins: its nucleus, although divided, still retains a medieval urban structure.

The Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta dates back to the early year one thousand: during the restorations carried out in 2000, experts brought to light finds dating back to the 7th century.

This place is located a few steps from the Monte Prinzera Nature Reserve and Bardone is famous, because the Via Francigena passes through here. Specifically, the stretch that leads from Parma to Luni passes through here and here in history there was the stop halfway up the Apennine climb.

The landscape is very relaxing and the municipal rest area is a sort of small campsite, a popular destination from spring to autumn by French, Dutch and German tourists.

From Bardone continue towards Terenzo, just a couple of kilometers away and has ancient origins, it is thought to be Roman, if not Celtic.

Terenzo, which is located on a landslide typical of this area, was almost totally destroyed by a landslide in 1294.

Terenzo is also on the Via Francigena and has its own parish church; the Pieve di Santo Stefano originally built in 1141, destroyed by the landslide and rebuilt in 1494 in a late Romanesque style.

Since Terenzo is very close to Bardone, if the day allows it, we recommend that you take a nice excursion on foot or by MTB, leaving your camper comfortably in the rest area in Bardone.

Other churches

From Terenzo there are several churches on the road that continues in the direction of Berceto on the S.S. 62 della Cisa.

• Parish church of San Michele Arcangelo in the small hamlet of Corniana. Initially built in 1200 and renovated in 1700, they added a side chapel. Deconsecrated in 1931, it was recovered and today it is home to exhibitions
• Church of Sant’Apollinare in Castello di Casola built around 1550 but enlarged later, it was restored in 1960
• Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Cassio rebuilt in 1600 and also from the Romanesque period. Almost completely destroyed by the bombings of World War II, it was rebuilt in the 1960s and subsequently restored in 2010. Inside it preserves a beautiful fresco from the 1400s.

• Berceto

From Cassio always continue on the S.S. 62, between landscapes of the Apennine crest and arriving in Berceto.

It is also called a “little stone jewel”, located at less than 1000 meters above sea level, in a beautiful Apennine basin, very close to the sea, which enjoys an optimal and sunny climate.

Berceto is a Hospitable Community of the Authentic Villages of Italy, and an important stop on the Via Francigena.

It has always been an important village for the people of the Taro del Manubiola and Baganza valleys, as it is located right on the ancient trade routes that passed through Lunigiana and Tuscany from here and from the nearby Cisa Pass.

Its Cathedral is the symbol of Berceto; built around the 7th century and near a Benedictine monastery, around which the village was born. Even the transit of pilgrims who headed towards Rome on the Via Francigena sanctioned its importance: in fact, Berceto became the stop for refreshment and rest.

Visiting Berceto is really pleasant: the area equipped for campers is a stone’s throw from the town center, whose streets are still partly cobbled. You can thus go to the discovery of this village, which during the spring and summer hosts various cultural, hiking and sporting events. It is also an excellent gastronomic stop to be able to taste the famous Porcini Mushrooms, of which the area is rich or the typical traditional dishes, such as Tortelli di Patate, in the town’s trattorias.

Other ideas…

• I Salti del Diavolo, for lovers of trekking or mountain biking: they are rocky spiers dating back to 80 million years ago and can be seen shortly after the inhabited area of ​​Ravarano, municipality of Calestano, along the provincial road n.15 to Berceto, Chiastre di Ravarano. There is a legend that tells … Read the story.
• the town of Corchia, in the province of Berceto, is a settlement that still retains its medieval core with stone houses, small paths with arched underpasses and completely renovated: once upon a time there were important metal mines, now abandoned.

From Berceto you can proceed towards the Cisa Pass and from there descend towards Pontremoli and Aulla, or more simply you can take the A15, whose tollbooth is about 6km away.