Top 19 Natural Monuments around Arcugnano

Some passages have been closed by the owners and it becomes difficult to resume the original track. Some sections to be walked

The Covolo della Catibalda is a natural cavity at the base of a suggestive rock face. In the area, as in all the Berici Hills, there are numerous and particular similar karst phenomena (ledges, cliffs, roofs and caves), the result of differentiated erosion between rocks of different compactness because they were formed in different geological eras; they were used as a shelter and home since prehistoric times. The covolo is slightly hidden and raised compared to Via Colombara: the street takes its name from the well-preserved dovecote tower of the ancient rural farm that is located at the top of the dead-end road. P.S.: the 'cèngia' is a horizontal passage that 'cuts' a vertical wall; the 'còvolo' (Venetian dialect) is a ravine in the rock.

The Grotta di San Bernardino is a small and fascinating medieval hermitage, nestled at the base of a ten-meter-high limestone pinnacle (the only rock tower in the entire Berici Hills). The building's façade encloses a karst cavity about thirty meters long and ten meters wide. An evocative and mysterious setting. According to tradition, the name derives from the shelter it provided to Saint Bernardino of Siena, who preached in these areas in the 15th century. In the early 16th century, this cave, like others in the Berici Hills, was adapted as a temporary refuge for the local populations, while the Venetian plain was subjected to enemy raids. The oldest prehistoric remains in the Vicenza area (tools and animal bones dating back 200,000 years) were found inside the cave: it was likely used by Neanderthals as a hunting base. Interesting fact: the abundance of animal bones was the main cause of soil removal and the resulting significant impoverishment of San Bernardino's paleontological heritage. In fact, in 1890, the Camerini family, owners of the site, had the rich phosphate material excavated from the cave. It was transported downstream by cableway and used as fertilizer for the fields! The cave is occasionally open to the public, with guided tours organized by the Mossano Tourist Board (Pro Loco), which you can contact for details. http://www.tuttoberici.it/arte/S-Bernardino-Grotta-Mossano.htm https://www.archeoveneto.it/portale/wp-content/filemaker/stampa_scheda_estesa.php?recid=189

Attila's Tooth is a rocky outcrop on the edge of a sheer cliff. It's enclosed by a wooden fence for safety, easily surmountable since there's no protection above the cliff and vegetation obscures the drop. A few steps along the trail is the Croce del Monte Brojon, another very exposed vantage point with a beautiful view of the village of Lumignano below, the Hermitage of San Cassiano, and the plain, with the Euganean Hills on the horizon.

Monte Nero, above Montecchio Maggiore, is actually a hill: despite its modest size, it is quite unique in terms of its geology, morphology, and botanical rarities! Thirty million years ago, Monte Nero was a volcanic island emerging from the waters. This gave rise to the current peak, which, with its bare, arid, and dark basalt (hence the name "Nero"), stands out clearly from the surrounding limestone hills. It is a unique (micro)environment: you walk on the primitive, solidified lava flow; you encounter rare plants, including exotic and Mediterranean ones, which are, to say the least, unusual to find in these places. A short educational trail (also suitable for children) starts from the Church of San Pietro and illustrates the peculiarities of Monte Nero in six stages/panels. https://www.prolocoaltemontecchio.it/cosa-vedere/percorsi/naturalistici/

Natural caves near the church of San Donato. Beautiful view of the plain and the Euganei.

Reachable by following path 72 starting from Villaga Fantastic view of the plain, as well as a place of historical interest

The covoli di San Donato are wonderful, panoramic. It is a place where an ancient church once stood close to the covoli; later it became a female Benedictine monastery. Now stands a church dating back to the nineteenth century. The walls also have some climbing routes.