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On foot

No 21 – The trails of Rocca Pendice

            

• Departure: Campo sportivo di Teolo; Area di sosta di Castelnuovo (Teolo)
• Arrival: Teolo
• Difficulty Level: medium; be careful on exposed path sections on rocky ground
• Length: 4.1 km
• Involved Municipalities: Teolo
• Show the map

• Difference in elevation: about 170 m
• RECOMMENDED PERIOD FOR THE VISIT: Throughout the year

Time is intended for a trained hiker, it could vary depending on the preparation and the interest for the itinerary features.

Unlike the walls of its many quarries, created by human intervention, Rocca Pendice is a natural cliff face. Geologically speaking, it is a vein of volcanic rock (trachyte) that has surfaced from the softer, eroded, sedimentary rocks below it. Recently acquired by the Euganean Hills’ park authority almost in its entirety, this site has always been used for rock climbing and is a favourite spot for enthusiasts of this sport.

Rocca Pendice, panorama
(photo by: PR Colli Euganei)

 

Protected Area
(18.694,00 ha)

Lay-out of the itinerary

Departure - Arrival

Park Authority Offices

Visitor Centers (3)

Where to Sleep (18)

Nature Tour Guides (3)

Municipalities (15)

Points of Interest (80)

EV charge ≥100kW (285)

Airports (4)

Station (4)

Highway exits (8)

Nevertheless, Rocca Pendice is a place where history and nature are inextricably linked in a fascinating way that is unique in the Euganean Hills. The ruins of Speronella Castle lie near its summit, while the distinctive ‘cart’ carvings - symbols of the Da Carrara family - were found etched in the rocks. The presence of peregrine falcons, which return to this place every year to nest, is the most important ecological feature and contributed enormously to the inclusion of the park in the Natura 2000 network’s list of Special Protection Areas (SPAs). As a result, rock climbing is not permitted during the nesting season.

The trail, also for access to the walls of the rock gym, starts at the parking lot of the Teolo cemetery; although apparent in its pattern, it often tends to close to the development of herbaceous and shrubby vegetation during the spring season.
In the stretch that goes back to the ruins of the castle of Speronella, a "safety chain" for the progression, the protection against the skirmishes and an iron staircase for access to the ruins have been placed on the wall called "numerate alte".
The top of the hill is populated in its margin by a decent presence of Centaurea cyanus, a species included in regional red list to be safeguarded to allow for its multiplication and conservation.

It is recommended to pay attention to the long panoramic ridge of the dorsal that leads to Castelnuovo, for the presence of some stretches exposed.
Of remarkable historical interest, visible along the trail, is the carved presence on a boulder of the coat of arms of the Carraresi family.

As a remarkable botanical peculiarity, there is the presence of the Asplenium foresienze, grazing and minute fern that develops between the cracks of the northern slope of the rock gymnast, listed among the regional red list species in the category "severely threatened".