POGGIO SMART

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From Ranzi to the ancient church of San Martino

A fairly long but quiet walk, on a wide dirt road at times panoramic, up to the ancient church of San Martino located in a grassy basin: ideal for a beautiful autumn or winter day. It starts immediately behind the town of Ranzi, where the characteristic votive pillar called "the chapel" stands in a panoramic point in the center of a circular open space. Following the asphalted road that climbs, you meet the plateau in Bui where in August we celebrate with the Nostralino Festival. The road then becomes unpaved, and remains so until almost the end of the path. The signpost to follow is a red plus sign. The environment consists of a not particularly dense forest with oaks and some pine trees, which as you go up are enriched with holm oaks, hazelnuts and chestnuts. Once you reach the “Colle delle Pere” you meet the watershed: this point, during the Second World War, was considered strategic and for this reason trenches had been dug. A little further on, the historic mule tracks from Giustenice and Verzi di Loano reach the ridge. After a couple of hairpin bends and some panoramic views of the sea, you cross the watershed one last time to go to the right of it. Here a bar marks the deviation that leads shortly to the panoramic hill with a monument and bell tower where local stones with different colors have been used, and then to the church of San Martino. It is believed that this is one of the first early Christian churches in the area (original 8th century structure), then modified in the Middle Ages and in subsequent eras[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]