Overview
Mount Civillina is a fascinating hiking destination in the Venetian Pre-Alps, with several trails offering breathtaking views and a rich historical heritage related to the Great War. The S4 and Sentinel trails are particularly interesting, both for hiking enthusiasts and history lovers.
Trail S4: Pievebelvicino – Mount Civillina
Departure
- Park your car in the square in Pievebelvicino or near the irrigation ditch on the old road to Torrebelvicino.
- The trail starts from Rillaro locality, climbing the Merchants’ Valley.
- At first, the route is paved until the fork to the kaolin quarries.
- Keeping to the left, continue climbing to the junction with the mule track leading from Zovo to Camonda.
- Follow the most frequently used mule track, which leads to Fonte Civillina.
Itinerary
- Continue on the dirt road to Mt. Civillina.
- From the summit, take the S4A trail back to the Civillina Spring.
- Continue toward Colombo Pass on the road to Zovo Pass.
- At the bend below Mt. Castrazzano, begin the descent of the S4 trail to Tringole locality.
- End the trail on the paved road, descending to Pievebelvicino.
Sentinel Trail
Departure
- Drive up to Bonomini and take the road to the village of Rovegliana.
- Continue to contrada Retassene, where there is a parking lot.
- Just below the parking lot, begin the marked trail.
Itinerary
- The trail climbs steeply but is not physically difficult.
- Bring a flashlight to visit military posts along the route.
- At the summit of Mt. Civillina, visit the posts and trenches surrounding the summit.
- The descent can be made via trail S4A to Fonte Civillina, then down via the mule track to contrada Retassene.
- A longer alternative route involves descending from S4A to Colombo Pass and then taking the path to the left that leads to the mule track to contrada Retassene.
Historical Background
Sentinel Trail
- The trail began at the Agno Creek, with six machine guns defending the valley floor.
- He went up to contrada Fracassi, where a 60-man shelter was located.
- It continued to the top of Civillina, with automatic weapon emplacements and troop shelters.
- The mule track on the south side was used for supplying food and materials.
Mount Sentinel
- It did not appear on military maps, but it is the rocky knoll at elevation 614 with a cross on the ridge.
- It was part of the third line of resistance, drawn as orthogonal 2 in 1918.
- This line started from Mount Obante, crossed various ridges and mountains, and went all the way to Mount Civillina.
Mount Civillina
- Served by a truckway from Zovo Pass to Castrazzano.
- On the summit were trenches, gun emplacements, ammunition depots, a powder magazine and artillery shelters.
- The garrison used an aqueduct for water brought from contrada Retassene.
- The powder magazine exploded on November 20, 1915, from unknown causes.
- In 1918, the barracks also housed 157 men of the 113th Engineer Corps Zappatori Company.
