The Via degli Dei

This beautiful route starts from Bologna in Piazza Maggiore, continues through the city along the portico of San Luca and runs along the River Reno up to Sasso Marconi. From there it climbs up the Apennines through woods and dirt roads, crossing landscapes of rare beauty. The path then enters Tuscany from the Futa Pass and descends into the Mugello to San Piero a Sieve, then reach Fiesole and finally Florence. Along the path you will encounter beautiful areas of natural interest: the landscapes of the riverbed and gullies of the Talon Park, the suggestive rock formations of the Pliocene Contrafforte, the mountains covered with beech and chestnut woods of the Tuscan Emilian Apennines, up to the rural landscapes of the lovely Mugello hills.

The historical presence of the ancient Romans is strong here: for instance the tracks of the Military Flamina - an ancient communication artery built by the Consul Caio Flaminio in 187 BC, which united Bologna and Arezzo passing through Fiesole - are very visible. And so are the remains of an ancient Roman furnace for cooking the lime in Piana degli Ossi. Along the road there are many points of interest worth a visit: the Sanctuary of San Luca which is reached from Bologna through the longest portico (666 arches) in Europe; the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Neve, in Madonna dei Fornelli; the abandoned Abbey of Buonsollazzo and the Monastery of Monte Senario, in a dominant position over the Florentine valley, it is one of the most important religious places in Tuscany. At the Futa Pass you can see the Germanic military cemetery and some remains of the "Gothic Line" fortifications, testifying some brutal battles of the Second World War which took place in this area.

Last but not least, the legend that surrounds the Osteria Bruciata Pass is an interesting one: it goes over an old inn, where travelers were robbed and killed in their sleep and their corpses cooked and served as the next day's meal. The “Via degli Dei” brings the travellers also through two regions - Tuscany and Emilia Romagna - which have a rich culinary tradition: on the Bolognese side you can taste lasagne, tortellini and tortelli, accompanied by the typical wines of the area such as Pignoletto and Red Romagna. After crossing the Futa Pass you can taste, instead, the steak of Mugellana meat, the tortelli of potatoes, the ribollita, accompanied by the Chianti wine from the Florentine hills and many other Tuscan specialties.