Discover Querciagrossa: Hiking and History

Querciagrossa combines hiking with historic hospitality. The trails offer different points of reference for planning: the Sentiero CAI 520 is described in terms of difficulty, while the Sentiero 518 follows a route through several named places. The local history leads from an old ducal road to rest stops and a locanda that served as a work base during the construction of the Via Vandelli. This can help you decide which aspects of the town are of particular interest to you on your trip.

Hiking: Difficulty and Route

The CAI lists the Sentiero CAI 520 as a hiking trail associated with Querciagrossa. It is classified as a challenging hiking route for experienced hikers and requires good physical preparation. Check conditions before setting out, as they can change.

The Sentiero 518 runs from Pavullo via Cà di Chino, Montecuccolo, Renno, Albareto and Querciagrossa, then back to Pavullo. The tourism portal of the Municipality of Pavullo nel Frignano provides a 174 KB GPX track for download. The route page was last updated on October 18, 2023; before using it, check whether the track and route details suit your plans.

The two trails therefore provide different kinds of guidance: the 520 is described in terms of its difficulty, while the 518 is defined by a sequence of named places and its associated GPX track. This distinction is useful when deciding what interests you during your stay, without assuming that both trails have the same level of difficulty.

Historic Roads and Inns

Querciagrossa developed along an old ducal road, on the boundary between Montorso and Montecuccolo. The road led to Montecenere, where it branched off toward Tuscany or Liguria. The town’s history is therefore also connected with former routes and travelers.

An episode from 1696 tells of Marchesa Vittoria Spinola Grillo, who came from Genoa. She was welcomed in Querciagrossa by a delegation of prominent citizens from Pavullo. The occasion was the inauguration of the Oratorio di Mediana, whose construction she had funded.

Inns were also part of the history of travel. The historic Trattoria di Querciagrossa was a resting place for travelers. It had a stable where the Diligence—a stagecoach—changed horses. The Osteria di Quercia Grossa can be traced back to the early years of the 18th century; the later Trattoria di Querciagrossa continued this inn.

A long-established locanda served as a work base for the engineer Francesco Portocarrero in 1751. He was working on the construction of the section of the Via Vandelli between Pavullo and Montecenere. The town’s history thus offers several specific connections to roads and places to stop, but these historic establishments should not be confused with present-day services.

Cuisine and Local Highlights

The Vecchia Trattoria di Romani serves traditional cuisine from the Frignano area, including mushrooms, truffles, cheese, cured meats, meat and homemade pasta. The menu may change.

In the hamlet of Querciagrossa, there is Parco Via Giotto on Via Giotto. The wider Pavullo nel Frignano area also contains a geological unit called “membro di Querciagrossa.” It is characterized by dark-gray marly pelites alternating with medium- and coarse-grained sandstone layers. The geological name refers to the unit in the wider area, not to a location within Querciagrossa.

Discover more destinations: Riolunato, Spilamberto, Polinago, Vignola, Ravarino, Serramazzoni, Bomporto, Guiglia.

For the overview of the wider area: Modena.