Ring-route 7. The thousand-year-old Camaldoli Forest
Moggiona - Badia Prataglia - Asqua - Moggiona
- Trail Conditions: On foot
- Interest: Flora, Religion, Hystory
- Departure: Partina
- Arrival: Partina
- Duration: 6 h + 6 h + 3,5 h
- Difficulty Level: E - Hiking (level)
- Length: 35,5 km (12,5 km + 15 km + 8 km)
- Difference in height: uphill 972 m + 829 m + 352 m
- Public Means of Transport: Bus line LFH3 with departure from Poppi (Etruria Mobilità)
- Accomodation structures: Pensione Giardino, Hotel Bosco Verde, Locanda "Carbonile" Guide del Parco, Ristorante Pizzeria La Foresta, Rifugio Escursionistico Casanova, Rifugio Asqua - Rifugio Escursionistico
A ring-route develops around the Camaldoli Forest, a forest connected with the thousand-year-old history of the hermitage established by St. Romuald in 1023 and of the Monastery of the same name. The village of Badia Prataglia will be the entrance door of the Mount Penna rise, one of the most beautiful panoramic terraces overlooking Romagna and Lama Forest. 
Download the description of the ring-route 7. (Italian Text)
First day. Departure and arrival point of these itinerary is Moggiana, the village of the so called 'bigonai', the nearest village to the majestic Camaldoli forest. Five hundred meters far from the lower entrance of the built-up area (where one can park one's own car), towards Poppi, the path 92 climbs up on the right and enters a pinewood, mainly developing along a magnificent panoramic ridge. Once reached the dirt road it is necessary to cross it to proceed along the route. The forest turns into a deciduous one, one passes through the locality of Rota and follows the path marker number 72.
Hikers are now surrounded by a beech forest, then by a fir forest casting its shadow along the whole long slope leading us to the monastery of Camaldoli after having crossed the asphalted road.
A little before one cannot miss the opportunity to take a picture of and to reflect in front of the majestic Miraglia Chestnut Tree, one of Italy's most famous and ancient trees. It is also worth pausing in the monks' dwelling, then walking a demanding uphill stretch starting beyond the group of houses and beyond the bridge. The arrival to the Cotozzo bivouac marks an important point of the ascent, which goes on always following the path 72, and once crossed the fir forest it alternates stretches covered with beech trees and trenches crossed by streams and clearings, which in summer are covered with ferns. By the crossroads do not consider the uphill and downhill paths. The only demanding descent is that leading us from Cavalla Pazza to Badia Prataglia.
Second day. The second day starts in the center of the village, in front of the abbey, where the path initially corresponds to an inland small street which, after half a kilometer, has to be left in order to take the path 84 on the right. In the locality of Capanno one has to walk along the right side of the sports ground and soon enters the forest again. The Fiume d'Isola Trench makes the waters echo, and we continue going uphill, crossing the road and heading the Fangacci mountain pass. At this point it is warmly recommended an outward/backward deviation towards Mount Penna: one has to turn right along the road for about 500 meters, then follow the path 225 leading to the most beautiful panoramic terrace in the Park and maybe in the whole central Apennine.
Once back to the Fangacci pass, behind the tables, the route follows the last small rise corresponding to a similar descent, and then one reaches Prato alla Penna. From this passage the famous "Giogana" departs, but one climbs down for a few meters, enters the white fir forest and goes visiting the Camaldoli hermitage. One leaves again following the main street arriving to the opposite side, and after one kilometer, beyond the bridge, one enters the forest again walking the path 74 leading to Croce Gaggi. Right below the arrival point in the mountain pass, the almost flat route is well visible, and it leads hikers to Asqua by way of Rota.
Third day. Asqua and Moggiona are very near each other. Before taking one's way home, in this last day it is possible to walk the paths called 'Sentiero dei Tedeschi' (Germans' Path) and 'Sentiero delle Trincee' (Trenches' Path), which are a testimony to the Gothic Line. From Asqua one goes back to the locality of Rota, and from there one follows the path 94 reaching the Divin Maestro Oasis, and from that point, with a deviation to the left, it allows visitors to reach the ridge situated above, where in some stretches one can still observe the trenches dating back to World War II. To close the ring-route in Poggio Muschioso one turns left and goes back to Rota. This time one does not need to cross Asqua, but can follow the main path which leads visitors to the road, and once crossed it one will be on the ridge of the first day again, the ridge through which one will reach Moggiona again.
Involved structures: Badia Prataglia: Pensione Giardino, Bosco Verde, Locanda Carbonile, La Foresta, Casanova (first day), Rifugio Asqua (second day)
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