From the Anciolina Pass to Badia Santa Trinita
From a historic passage on Pratomagno to the ancient Benedictine abbey on Via Abversa

Texts and photos by Alessandro Ferrini ©
75 images in sequence to learn about this itinerary in Pratomagno. Click to start the virtual excursion
To Badia Santa Trinita walking on the ancient Via Abversa
The circular itinerary described and shown on this page and in the seventy-five in sequence will lead us to the ruins of Badia Santa Trinita. It starts and ends at Varco di Anciolina. It is about 11 kilometers long and has a total difference in altitude of 800 meters. The hike, on the southern slopes of Pratomagno, will take us through a wonderful nature consisting not only of beautiful beech, chestnut and fir woods, but also of the presence of four waterways: the Fosso della Specchiana, the Fosso della Badia, the Fosso delle Cetine and the Fosso della Via Traversa. This last name introduces us to the fascinating historical aspects that the walk will present to us, less obvious than the natural ones, but no less interesting. In fact, we will walk on a stretch of the ancient Via Abversa (Etruscan-Roman), also called Via Abaversa, or Via Traversa.
The Varco di Anciolina is located along the road that from the Panoramica del Pratomagno on the Valdarno leads to Monte Lori. It is easily reached from Arezzo through the Passo della Crocina, from the Valdarno always through the same pass or using the road that goes up to Chiassaia and Anciolina, from the Casentino passing through Talla and Pontenano. The place, better known simply as Varco, is unmistakable for the presence of a large clearing (which serves as a timber impost) located on the outside of a left curve, one kilometer from the Strada Panoramica del Pratomagno. Here you will find the sign “Badia Santa Trinita km 3”. At this point the Pratomagno massif was crossed by an ancient road: the Via Abversa. This route connected two places whose toponyms date back to the Etruscan civilization: Socana, in Casentino and Gropina, in Valdarno. Today the Via Abversa, from Varco to Santa Trinita, is mainly traced by a forest road which in turn coincides with the CAI 32. Our excursion begins on this path, in a north-east direction, or, if we prefer, towards Casentino.
For a short stretch the road is also passable by car because it is a service to the Fonte dello Squarto Campsite that we meet after three hundred meters. After passing this, a barrier closes the passage to motorized vehicles. Two hundred meters after this begins a panoramic stretch of the route. On the horizon, the closest mountain is the Alpe di Catenania with La Verna further to the left. In the absence of haze our view can go further, further to the right we can see Monte Nerone, Catria, Monte Cucco and, even further away, the Sibillini.
Of particular interest is the toponym that in the maps distinguishes the area located under the forest road. It is indicated as Badia Vecchia or Badivecchia. The manuscript that speaks of the foundation of Santa Trinita narrates that the current site was not the one that saw the origin of the abbey. It is reasonable to assume, therefore, that the first monastic settlement arose in this area. Today the vegetation of Badivecchia consists of beech trees, chestnut trees, lower down, and many bushes. It was once
completely devoid of woods and for centuries it was a large pasture used mostly by the shepherds of Pontenano, this until the 1950s.
After observing the view, we continue our journey on the forest road. A little further ahead, something very interesting awaits us. Eight hundred meters from the barrier, on the outside of a downhill left curve, there is a small clearing. Here the historic road, marked in the current cadastral map and identified as Strada Vicinale del Valdarno, did not follow the current forest road, but went to the right. It still exists, it is a forest track that descends into a beech forest. After a hundred meters or so, almost straight, it turns left suddenly and continues its descent towards a small basin where the Fosso della Specchiana flows. However, before taking this route, we go straight on a forest track that continues to descend for two hundred meters. We arrive at the beginning of the Cantalocchi fir forest (a name used by the people of the area, not shown on the maps). Here, on a sort of small ridge, there are the ruins of a building that the elders of Pontenano remember as a shepherd's hut. There is no doubt that this was one of its uses, but it was certainly an adaptation because looking more closely we notice that its plan and what remains of the walls have different characteristics from a shepherd's or charcoal burner's hut (one is located a kilometer away, Capanna del Braccini). Its size is double what it appears at first glance. The wall furthest upstream (opposite the entrance) is 75 centimeters thick and many of the stones that compose it are worked. The access to the small building is 60 centimeters wide, shepherds needed wider entrances.
What was this building originally? It is difficult to say, perhaps excavations would reveal something more. For now, let us enjoy a beautiful suggestion that some irrefutable elements bring to mind. We are next to the area marked as Badia Vecchia in the current cadastral map, the local mushroom hunters call this place Badivecchia, the manuscript that deals with the foundation of Santa Trinita speaks of a site prior to the current one (probably very small and used for a few years), the ruins we are observing certainly belonged to a "noble building".
We resume our journey. We climb for two hundred meters on the forest track already traveled and at the crossroads we turn right starting to descend into a beautiful beech forest. In four hundred meters we reach a sort of small basin crossed by the Fosso della Specchiana, the flow of its waters offers us a pleasant murmur. We find ourselves in a wonderful natural environment, but what makes the place even more fascinating is the thought that the road we are walking on has been for centuries, but we can also say for over two millennia, the most important connection between Casentino and Valdarno in the southern part of Pratomagno. This until the 1930s.
Once past the ditch, after a hundred meters we return to the forest road that we had left to go and see the ruins and that from here to Badia Santa Trinita (seven hundred meters) follows the Strada del Val d’Arno, as it is marked in a cadastral record of 1824. A few more minutes of walking and the beech trees give way to centuries-old chestnut groves. Twenty meters before the small wooden bridge that allows us to cross the Fosso della Badia, the CAI 44, which comes from Pontenano, enters our path from the right. From here, CAI 32 and 44 overlap. They will separate again behind the Benedictine complex that we reach in a hundred and fifty meters of climbing beyond the ditch.
The abbey, located at 952 meters above sea level, appears suddenly. Despite being reduced to ruins, it retains a great charm, primarily because of the place where it is located. The first thought that comes to mind is how it was possible for a religious complex of such magnificence to arise in a place so far from everything. It was not like this in the 10th century. As mentioned, an important route passed through here, the Via Abversa, which we are walking on with this excursion. Other information on Santa Trinita is reported on pages 26, 27, 28 and 29 of the sequence.
Fifty meters behind the monastic complex is the Fonte della Badia. Here CAI 32 and 44 split. The first turns right to head towards Capraia. We continue straight on CAI 44 which after a few flat steps begins a steep climb among the fir trees to reach Passo alla Forca in seven hundred meters, 1065 meters, where CAI 44 ends by merging with CAI 40 which runs on this ridge that separates the municipalities of Talla and Castel Focognano. Passo alla Forca is also called “Uomo Morto” or “Prete Morto” (Dead Man) and on page
35 we explain why. The current and 1824 cadastral maps show that here the “Strada del Valdarno” (perhaps also Via Abversa) continued straight down the opposite slopes of the mountain to reach Carda. Unfortunately this road is no longer passable because it is blocked by vegetation. For our convenience, let's assume that at Passo alla Forca the Via Abversa, to reach Socana, went to the right, towards Faltona. It is a well-traveled road and also shorter.
Our itinerary, however, involves going left, so on CAI 40 we head north-west. The road begins to climb, after three hundred meters, at a cemented right curve, we look back. We will have a beautiful view. Below we see the narrow valley of the Capraia stream that descends towards Talla. In the background (in the absence of haze) we distinguish Arezzo, the plain surrounding the city and the Valdichiana. On the horizon, further to the right we see a peak with a pointed shape: it is Monte Cetona.
Continuing our journey, in another five hundred meters we reach a fork on the right where a forest track, corresponding to CAI 38, which descends to Carda. In the 1950s it replaced the road that descended from Passo alla Forca, not suitable for the motorized forestry vehicles that progress was bringing. We continue straight, from here our route will also be CAI 38 which we will follow for a kilometer. At a small plateau at the end of a descent, we leave CAI 38 to take a forest track on the left. After a hundred meters we find a small bivouac. From here the route begins a constant descent into a thick forest of fir and beech trees that in a few minutes leads us to a beautiful watercourse: the Fosso della Via Traversa. A very interesting toponym because it confirms that the ancient Via Abversa passed through this area. Beyond the ditch, for eight hundred meters, the path runs through a beautiful beech forest alternating easy climbs with flat stretches. Then begins a descent inside a thick fir forest that ends just before the Fosso delle Cetine. Four hundred meters further down this watercourse joins the Fosso della Via Traversa and together they form the Fosso della Badia which we crossed shortly before reaching the abbey. Now our road climbs again, then becomes almost flat near a crossroads where we find the forest road that we had left to go and see the ruins of the possible Badia Vecchia. In this area the beech forest shows us plants that are true natural monuments. On our right is the skeleton of what was a reference hut for
those who found themselves working in these mountain places. On the maps it is marked as Capanna del Braccini. He was a sort of factor of the Cassi, the last private owners of Santa Trinita who also owned five hundred hectares of land in this area of Pratomagno. We can see what remains of this hut on pages 59, 60, 61 and 62.
We continue straight on our path crossing the forest road. After about thirty meters the path turns left entering the woods. This new forest track (also a path for a stretch) in just over two kilometers of ups and downs leads to the asphalt road that goes up to Pian di Lavacchi (Prato di Monte Lori). We will cross woods of various types and will also come across a panoramic point that offers a beautiful view with Monte della Verna on the horizon. We will cross the Fosso della Specchiana again, eight hundred meters before reaching the road that we will enter at a large clearing located on the outside of a curve. From here we just have to descend, in six hundred meters we will arrive at Varco, the starting point of the excursion.