Leave the car in Piazzale Europa, near the Bastia cemetery, and walk for about 350 meters on the provincial road (for a short stretch) towards Rovolon.
Once you reach a slightly uphill half-bend, take a small path on the left, marked as R4.
Continue walking for about 100 meters along this path, turn right and enter the wood. You will find yourself on the slopes of Monte Viale. (1)
Here the path gets almost flat until you find some houses, once named "Careteo" and "Gambeara" by the families who lived there until the 1950s - 1960s.
Going right downhill between the houses, the path would lead to the main road that goes from Bastia up to Rovolon, yet we continue leftwards going uphill.
Here the path gently inclines for less than 100 meters, keep walking rightwards following the path. The top of the hill on your left is nicknamed "Castaroto", probably this name derives from the fact that in the past there was a castle or a watchtower at this summit.
Continuing on the path you can see on the right an interesting example of a rural house with buttresses, after that you will come to the main road that leads from Rovolon down to Montemerlo.
Turn right and walk uphill for about 50 meters. On the left, take another small uphill road, via Spinazzola. Here you will see Villa Egizia standing on the right.
After few steps, turn left onto a downhill path in the middle of the vegetation and go up to pianoro Spinazzola (Spinazzola plateau).
The path will end at “Crosara del Capitello”, on a paved provincial road that leads from Rovolon down to Montemerlo.
At this point turn left in the direction of Rovolon. Straight afterwards turn right onto a small path going downhill in the direction of Bastia: this path leads you to a narrow valley situated on the slopes of Monte Cereo. Walk along the hill for about 500 meters on a downhill path, first dirt then paved.
On the left you will be rewarded with an excellent view of the “Vallone” (big valley) inserted between the foothills of Monte Viale and Monte Spinazzola.
This area was once called “Busa de Rusa”, now it has become a biotope named “Valli Toffan”.
Follow the road that runs alongside Monte Cereo and keep to the left towards Bastia.
After about 200 meters, at the beginning of private residences, you can admire an old farm with a “Colombara” tower (colombarium), certainly the most beautiful in the area, and perhaps in the hills. (2)
Almost at the end of the road, turn left on a smaller street named Don Bordin, that will lead you to Piazzale Europa, the starting point.
NOTES:
(1)Looking to the south from left to right you can see: Monte Grande, Monte della Madonna, the town of Rovolon, and partially on the westside the chain of Colli Berici. Here you can find the typical vegetation of the Euganean Hills such as robinia, ash, oak and other undergrowth shrubs such as the butcher's broom.
(2)A columbarium is a structure intended to house pigeons (colombo in Italian means pigeon) and contain pigeon holes for the birds to nest.
Towers of this kind, although generally more modest and less beautiful, are not uncommon in ancient farms, villas and manor houses in Italy. They are found in the Euganean hills as in many other areas of Italy.
Trail time: about 1 hour ½
Difficulty +
