Dilignidis – Feltrone
The medieval settlement of Feltrone
The medieval settlement of Feltrone was built on a particularly steep slope, a choice driven by the need to avoid taking up fertile land for cultivation. The church was erected on a high knoll, around which the post-medieval village later developed, continuing the preference for land unsuitable for agriculture. It is reasonable to assume that the village underwent profound transformations due to fires and subsequent reconstructions. Although historical architectural evidence is scarce today, simple gallery-style housing types still predominated in the early twentieth century. The only element of distinction is the eighteenth-century portal leading to the former dairy. However, this is a repurposed stone structure, likely originating from a pre-existing manor house.
From Dilignidis to Feltrone via the historic mule track
To reach Feltrone from Dilignidis, you initially follow the paved road, then take a path on the right that runs along the western side of a house. Heading back up toward the hairpin bend of the modern roadway, you briefly rejoin the asphalt. A little further on, on the right, you find the historical route that allows you to cut across two wide hairpin turns.
In this section, the ancient path allows you to bypass another bend in the road. The historic mule track crosses the roadway again before continuing along its upper stretch. From here, returning to the main road, you reach the village and climb toward the small church of San Vito, Modesto, and Crescenzia.
Above the village, the route joins the aqueduct road and the path coming from Voltois. After a few hundred meters, leave the forest track to take a well-defined mule track. This crosses an area that was once used as public meadows (later privatized) and has now been transformed into a dense forest that slopes down towards Dilignidis.
The path remains clearly identifiable and well-trodden. This has prevented the surrounding wild vegetation from blocking the way. Along the trail, you can still see the stumps of trees that once stood tall and solitary among the meadows.
The trail becomes less distinct near the first pastures of Dilignidis, where the path is partially reclaimed by the grass and can only be recognized by a slight indentation in the ground.
In the middle of the large meadow, the path finally forks, descending to the right toward Lungis and to the left toward the old school in the hamlet of Dilignidis, eventually joining back up with the paved road to Feltrone.
