Cammino di San Cristoforo - Il Percorso dei Magredi
The Magredi Route is a journey through landscapes of rare beauty, among the quiet of the Friulian steppe, the resurgences of Cordenons and a nature that gives silence, contemplation and authenticity.
The Cammino di San Cristoforo - Il Percorso dei Magredi is one of the three itineraries of the Cammino di San Cristoforo, a journey of over 350 km that crosses 25 municipalities in Western Friuli. Spectacular landscapes, history and traditions, where art and nature merge with the evidence of a millenary culture.
The path winds between two UNESCO Sites-the Neolithic pile-dwelling site of Palù di Livenza and the Friulian Dolomites-and includes places of rare beauty such as the Magredi and the historic villages of the piedmont, enriched by castles, churches and traces of a past ranging from prehistory to industrial archaeology. It is an itinerary that invites you to immerse yourself in the biodiversity of the area and to meet the local communities, whose hospitality makes the experience even more special.
The Magredi Route
A journey into silence and nature that takes you to a suspended place, far from the hustle and bustle of the world, yet very close to civilization. Here, you will be confronted with an unusual landscape: a steppe with wild charm, perfect for those seeking silence and a more intimate dimension.
The Magredi, with their precious “nothingness,” are ideal to travel in mild seasons, such as spring, when sudden blooms break the monotony and give free beauty. It is an area where the water seems to disappear, but then surprisingly re-emerges in the resurgences of Cordenons, a delicate and magical place where water resurfaces from the ground, giving life to plants, trees and animals.
Among rocks, waters and open spaces, this path is an invitation to contemplation and discovery. And when the time comes to stop, you can find another nourishment: authentic village inns or restaurants that know how to transform the flavors of the territory into unique experiences.
The Magredi Trail is an essential and authentic journey, where every step brings you closer to the simple and rare beauty of this land.
HISTORY
The Cammino di San Cristoforo in Friuli Venezia Giulia, was born in 2018 by the happy intuition of Dr. Forestry Luisa Cappellozza and Architect Giorgio Viel, with the desire to create connections between the valleys already served by the pedemontana railway and the FVG3 bike path, enhancing the landscape, historical and artistic beauty of the area, from the Livenza to the Tagliamento, the last wild river in Europe.
Montagna Leader immediately seized the opportunity to give space to this project by investing in ideas and professionalism, and today as the managing body of the Cammino it coordinates the various initiatives, putting at the center the economic and cultural operators and the communities that are increasingly open to welcoming walkers.
The Cammino di San Cristoforo is listed on the FVG Registry of Paths and in the Catalogue of Italian Religious Paths of the Ministry of Tourism.
It is dedicated to St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, pilgrims and walkers, who with his staff fords the river carrying the Child on his shoulder (Christopher=bearer of Christ). He is depicted on the outside and inside of many churches along the path and near fords, to protect and benevolently welcome anyone who sets out on the journey.
The more than 100 churches and parish churches present offer pilgrims moments of spirituality and recollection in pleasant places and oases of peace. Each one preserves a vast heritage of works of art, the result of a centuries-old school of painting and sculpture that reached its peaks with masters such as Giovanni Antonio de’ Sacchis called the Pordenone, Pomponio Amalteo, Gasparo Narvesa, Giovanni Francesco dal Zotto called Gianfrancesco da Tolmezzo, Marco Tiussi da Spilimbergo, Giovanni Antonio Bassini called the Pilacorte, and Ghirlanduzzi.
WATER SOURCES.
It is recommended to stock up on water at the beginning of the STAGE. However, the route passes through towns where it is possible to stock up along the way.
SERVICES
At each STAGE there are small towns where you can find small grocery stores or supermarkets. There is also the possibility of buying typical and local products directly from the businesses along the way.
PHARMACIES:
- 1st STAGE: Pordenone (15), Cordenons (5), San Quirino (1)2nd STAGE: San Quirino (1), Vajont (1), Maniago (3)3rd STAGE: Maniago (3), Fanna (1), Cavasso Nuovo (1), Arba (1), Solimbergo
4th Stage Solimbergo, Sequals (2), Spilimbergo (4)
5th Stage: Spilimbergo (3), Vivaro (1)
6th Stage: Vivaro (1), Cordenons (5), Pordenone (15)
SIGNAGE
The signage on the Camino di San Cristoforo is clear and well-organized to accompany you step by step along the route. Here’s what you’ll find:
- Directional: 20×10 cm tables with a brown background and the color of the path you are following (yellow for the Pedemontana, green for the Magredi Path, blue for the Meduna Valley Ring). Each table includes the Cammino logo and a directional arrow accompanied by the location to be reached.
- Signposts: 10×15 cm tables with background of the color of the path. These also bear the logo of the Way and are often fixed on poles or trees, following their natural shape to blend into the environment.
- Studs: 11 cm diameter bronze plates with the logo and directional arrow embossed on them. These particular markers are found in places where traditional supports are lacking and are fixed on walls or directly on the roadbed.
IN TENT
It is possible to camp in the villages of Solimbergo and Vivaro.
ROAD BOTTOM.
64% asphalt
36% trail/terrain
The route is on:
33% roads inhibited to vehicular traffic
55% roads with little vehicular traffic
CREDENTIALS
MANDIpass is the credential for the Camino and is free.
Available at the PromoTurismoFVG office in Pordenone, the IAT offices in Maniago, Spilimbergo, Toppo di Travesio, Tramonti di Sopra, the Albergo Diffuso in Clauzetto, Polcenigo, Vivaro, Tramonti di Sotto, and the Community Cooperative Together in Meduno,
CONTACTS
Mountain Leader Association Scarl
Via Venezia, 18/c
33085 Maniago (Pn)
gal@montagnaleader.org
tel. 0427 71775
STAGE 01
STAGE 01: Pordenone Villanova- San Quirino
Length: 5.8 km
The route begins in the neighborhood of Villanova, along the Noncello River, with a stop at the Church of St. Ulderico, where you will admire an impressive fresco of St. Christopher, attributed to the young Giovanni Antonio de’ Sacchis, known as “il Pordenone.”
From here, proceed to Pordenone, a city that retains its medieval and Renaissance roots despite modern transformations. Stroll along the main street and through the historic alleys to discover the Cathedral, the bell tower inspired by St. Mark’s, and evocative places such as the Church of Christ or the former convent of St. Francis.
Leaving the city, the path enters green spaces such as the Seminary Park, an oasis of peace not far from the center. Continuing on to Cordenons, follow the paths between irrigation ditches, fields and peasant houses, in a landscape linked to the Noncello River and its resurgences.
The section ends at San Quirino, where you can admire Villa Cattaneo with its elegant park, in a place that once housed the Knights Templar.
Digression Resurgence Ring of Cordenons
Length: 23.2 km
This short and easy digression takes you to the Resurgences of Cordenons, a surprising place out of time, just a stone’s throw from modern Pordenone. Here, among meadows, paths and silence, you can immerse yourself in the biodiversity of the area, letting your gaze wander to the nearby mountains and admiring the water that bubbles up from the earth, creating an environment rich in life and beauty.
STAGE 02
STAGE 02: San Quirino – Maniago
Length: 20.7 km
From San Quirino, the route begins to climb toward the Carnic Pre-Alps, crossing cultivated fields and rural roads. You will skirt the wide gravelly riverbed of the Cellina stream, which looks dry on the surface, but hides the water that nourishes the plain underneath. After passing the village of San Leonardo Valcellina, you can easily ford the stream and continue to the foothills, the hilly strip at the foot of the mountains.
Along the way you will meet Free Maniago, with its courtyards and its atmosphere suspended in time, ending in the center of Maniago, the City of Manufacturing Art and Cutlery.
Bridge Julius Digression
Length: 3.4 km
This short digression takes you to the Julius Bridge, an old iron structure from the late 1800s. From here you can admire the wild landscape of the Cellina stream and its vast gravelly riverbed, speckled with shrubs and trees, which plows through the plain, losing itself in the horizon.
San Leonardo Valcellina Digression
Length: 8.2 km
This short and easy digression takes you around the village of San Leonardo Valcellina, where you can admire a singular work of art: from the trunk of an old hackberry tree, a local artist has carved the story of Antonio dell’Angelo, known as Pellegrin, who with ingenuity and hard work brought water to the village, a feat symbolic of the community.
Vajont digression
Length: 1.7 km
This brief digression takes you to Vajont, a modern village established in 1971 to accommodate survivors of the 1963 dam tragedy. Designed by urban planner Giuseppe Samonà, Vajont was conceived as an ideal city, inspired by the urban models of Greek and Roman antiquity.
STAGE 03
STAGE 03: Maniago – Solimbergo
Length: 19.6 km
Maniago is the “Knife City,” where blade making, which originated in the Middle Ages thanks to the waters of the Colvera River, is still alive. A visit to the Museum of Manufacturing Art will allow you to discover this history and the area. Stroll through the historic center and visit the Cathedral, an example of Romanesque architecture.
Continuing on, you will reach Fanna, known as the “land of old apples,” thanks to the recovery of traditional varieties, and where you can visit the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Strada, a place of worship and pilgrimage since the year 1000.
The path then takes you to Cavasso Nuovo, famous for the Red Onion, and continues along along the Meduna stream. Here, a bridge will give you a beautiful view of waters, forests and hills, before you arrive at Solimbergo, with the remains of its ancient castle.
STAGE 04
STAGE 04: Solimbergo – Spilimbergo
Length: 22.2 km
Coming down from the hills of Solimbergo, the path takes you to Sequals, birthplace of the boxer Primo Carnera, a symbol of Friulian migration and success overseas.
From here, you will traverse an agricultural landscape with broad horizons and lonely forest-covered hills to Lestans, where the following are worth a stop Villa Savorgnan and the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, frescoed by Pomponio Amalteo, a famous Renaissance painter from Friuli.
Continuing southward, passing through Vacile, Istrago e Tauriano, you will encounter other fascinating churches and parishes, which prepare you for your arrival in Spilimbergo, a focal point of medieval and Renaissance beauty that accompanied your journey.
STAGE 05
STAGE 05: Spilimbergo – Vivaro
Length: 17 km
A Spilimbergo, treat yourself to a walk through the historic streets to admire the Duomo with its frescoes of St. Christopher and the nearby Castle, before reaching the town hall for a breathtaking view of the banks of the Tagliamento and the Friulian plain.
Leaving the city, you will cross the Cosa creek and a wide agricultural landscape to Vivaro, the heart of the Magredi, a unique environment in Italy, comparable to the Asian steppes. Here, among endemic blooms and the silence of unspoiled nature, you will find an ideal space for contemplation.
Because of the sun exposure and the scarcity of shade, it is advisable to bike this stretch or avoid it on the hottest days of summer.
STAGE 06
STAGE 06: Vivaro – Pordenone
Length: 27.9 km
After Vivaro, continue through the Magredi following a section of the nature trail “Pierditi intal patus” (“Lose yourself among the meadows”), to the bed of the Cellina and then toward Cordenons. Here, where the cultivated countryside meets the steppe, you will discover the Vinchiaruzzo resurgences., an oasis of biodiversity characterized by the presence of willows.
Take the time to admire this picturesque place before reentering the modern world, passing through Cordenons and concluding the loop in Pordenone, after exploring an extraordinary variety of landscapes.
Because of the little shade, especially in the first section, it is recommended to ride this STAGE by bicycle or avoid the hottest days of summer.
