Zocca: Chestnut Culture, Churches and Trails

Chestnut Culture and Borlengo

Zocca combines chestnut and Borlengo culture with historic buildings and trails through villages, castle ruins and churches. In the town center are the parish church and a viewpoint; museums, places such as Montecorone and Rosola, and circular routes complement these themes.

The Museo del Castagno e del Borlengo is located on the ground floor of the former Ospitale di San Giacomo di Zocca. In three rooms, the history of the chestnut and the mountain culture associated with it is presented through tools and old customs.

The Museo-Laboratorio del Borlengo has a different focus: Alongside an exhibition area with old Borlengo pans and objects from rural culture, there is a workshop where visitors are taught how to prepare Borlengo. While the chestnut museum focuses on history and customs, the workshop also explicitly covers how it is made.

An outdoor trail leads through the chestnut groves on Monte San Giacomo. Its 13 stops provide information about chestnut cultivation, grove maintenance and the orchard’s stages of development. The chestnut-related topics described thus range from historic tools and customs to cultivation and maintenance of the groves.

Churches, Villages and Historic Buildings

In the center of Zocca stands the Chiesa parrocchiale del Sacro Cuore di Gesù, with its magnificent Neo-Romanesque façade. Montecorone has a medieval street plan; its stone buildings are distinguished by sandstone doorways and pointed-arch windows. The village is also home to the 17th-century Oratorio di San Rocco.

Rosola is a well-preserved village clustered around a 13th-century tower, a testament to the former castle. The former castle grounds have been transformed into a public park.

Montetortore is a historic place between the provinces of Modena and Bologna, where the imposing ruins of a 12th-century castle stand. The Santuario della Verucchia is mentioned as early as the 15th century. It contains a panel depicting the Madonna and Child.

Landscape, Views and Trails

The protected Parco Regionale dei Sassi di Rocca Malatina covers 2,300 hectares between Guiglia, Marano sul Panaro and Zocca. Itinerario 400/2 is a circular route through the park area, offering wide views of the Apennine ridge. On its northern side, it passes through a dense chestnut forest.

Another panoramic view can be enjoyed from a viewpoint in the center of Zocca. Percorso 370 is a circular route from Zocca through Zocchetta, Montombraro, Ponte Bignami, Santa Croce, San Giacomo and Via Mavore, returning to Zocca.

Zocca has an extensive network of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. The trails pass through villages, by castle ruins and to noteworthy churches. The two named circular routes differ in their descriptions: Itinerario 400/2 highlights the park area, chestnut forest and views of the Apennine ridge; Percorso 370 is defined by its sequence of stops, starting and ending in Zocca.

Discover more destinations: Monteombraro, Fiorano Modenese, Savignano Sul Panaro, Riolunato, Vignola, Guiglia, Spilamberto, Faidello.

For the regional travel overview: Modena.