Via mater dei
The Camino of the Marian Sanctuaries of the Bolognese Apennines
italian version here
It is a route of approximately 157 km, divided into seven stages along mid-mountain ridges, connecting the city of Bologna to nine municipalities in the Bolognese Apennines: Pianoro, Monterenzio, Loiano, Monghidoro, San Benedetto Val di Sambro, Castiglione dei Pepoli, Camugnano, Grizzana Morandi, Vergato, and the municipality of Firenzuola in Tuscany.
From the city, with its famous medieval walls and monuments, step by step—walking and sweating—you can gradually rediscover a natural connection with the earth, the wind, the sun, and the rain: the random yet indispensable elements of a true pilgrimage. Step by step, upon reaching the final sanctuary and eventually returning to the city—whatever city you live in—everything will take on a new face, because it will be your own gaze that has changed.
The information on this portal comes from the official Via Mater Dei website – https://viamaterdei.it/ – and has been adapted here to be accessible to people with visual impairments, thanks to work carried out as part of the European project “AMIGOS” on behalf of the Metropolitan City of Bologna.
The AMIGOS project promotes sustainable and innovative mobility, enhancing the historic Via della Piccola Cassia and developing routes that are accessible, safe, and inclusive for people with vulnerabilities and disabilities. In particular, the goal of the Metropolitan City of Bologna, together with the Silvia Parente Sports Foundation, is to make information about the routes in this area accessible and easy to use: the Outdoor365 portal collects itinerary information and integrates it into a digital system compliant with accessibility standards. Through multi-level coordination, the rich heritage of the Piccola Cassia can be enjoyed by a wider range of tourists and, above all, will help improve the quality of life for residents of the Bolognese Apennines.
Official project website link: https://amigos-project.eu/
con il contributo di
