CAI Trail 817: Vinacciano and the Montalbano Hills - Visit Serravalle
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CAI Trail 817: Vinacciano and the Montalbano Hills

Panoramic loop

 

Home / Routes / CAI Trail 817: Vinacciano and the Montalbano Hills

Routes
Out of town
Length
11,5 km

A long circular hiking route through nature, history, and hills: from Cantagrillo to the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, in the heart of the Montalbano area.

CAI Trail 817 is a scenic loop route starting from Cantagrillo, offering over 5 hours of walking through woods, hillside paths, and historical views of the Montalbano area. The trail features a 380-meter elevation gain and an equal descent.

The hike begins near Villa Gargani, following a paved road (Via Gabbellini) before turning onto a dirt path that runs along the Vinacciano stream, gradually entering a more natural landscape. The path climbs to a house marked by a large pine tree (number 15), where a grassy lane to the left climbs steeply around the village of Vinacciano.

At a fork, the trail turns right, descending toward Collina and Pontelungo, and reaching the evocative ruins of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie at an altitude of 380 meters. The trail offers contrasting views: to the right lies the Cassero landfill, while Vinacciano stands out to the left among the hills.

The descent continues through wide bends, passing intensive nurseries before closing the loop. From here, the trail returns to Cantagrillo following the same route, offering more scenic views of the Montalbano landscape.

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Stages Route

 
Villa Gargani a Cantagrillo Visit Serravalle

Cantagrillo

TAPPA 1

Cantagrillo

In the 18th century, the Montemagni family built their villa on the hill of Cantagrillo, around which a settlement of the same name developed. Cantagrillo later became a connection point between Pistoia, San Baronto, Cecina (in the municipality of Larciano), and Montevettolini. Initially, the area was primarily dedicated to agriculture, benefiting from its fertile lands and abundant water resources.
 

Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie

Serravalle Pistoiese
TAPPA 2

Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie

The convent was built around 1468 by the Dominican fathers of Pistoia, on the site where the ancient church of Santa Maria Maddalena once stood, mentioned in a document from 1284. Used as a hermitage until 1784, it was later sold to the Tolomei family, who turned it into a private chapel. Returned to the Dominicans in 1928, it was eventually abandoned. The complex includes an oratory with a single-storey residence and a loggia with eight arches supported by stone columns. Inside, a late 15th-century fresco of the Madonna with two kneeling Dominican Saints is preserved.

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