In the upper Vicenza area, just a few kilometres from Zamberlan's home, rises Monte Summano. At 1,296 metres it's certainly not the highest peak in the Venetian Prealps, but it has always been one of the most fascinating destinations for locals and visitors alike. Among its most striking trails — both scenically and historically — is the Girolimini Trail: a route that starts from Piovene Rocchette (Vicenza) and leads, after a walk of roughly 2.5–3 hours, to the Cross that stands on the very summit.
The Girolimini Trail can be walked in every season given the moderate altitude, but particular care is needed in winter, when the summit may be snow-covered and sheets of ice can form in shaded sections. With incredible colours season after season, the climb up Monte Summano offers breathtaking views: on the clearest days you can see the Euganean Hills of Padua and, with a bit of luck, even the sea. Ready? Legs willing, a good pair of trekking or hiking boots, a minimum of physical preparation — and after reading our tips, off you go!
The route of the Girolimini Trail
The trail begins right in the historic centre of Piovene Rocchette. Parking at "Birreria Vecia", you climb a stairway leading to the "Fontanon", from where the ascent begins towards the Sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Angelo (533 m). This stretch can be covered either on foot, along the Girolimini path (which starts on the left after the fountain), or by car along the fully paved Via Crucis road. Near the church there's an excellent restaurant and convenient parking.
To continue, simply follow the very clear signage past the Sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Angelo and along the long mule track. The route — wide and well maintained year-round — runs largely through woodland, sheltering you from the crisp air on colder days and from the summer sun. Along the climb you can pause in a broad meadow that reveals a striking panorama over the Po Valley and, on the best days, shows the Adriatic Sea on the horizon. After about 2 hours of walking you reach the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Monte Summano, home to the "Baita Genzianella" refuge, managed by the MASCI of Santorso, where refreshment awaits. To reach the Cross, continue for another twenty minutes or so along paths and shortcuts leading to the summit (1,296 m).
The history of the Girolimini Trail
The mule track leading to the top of Monte Summano is said to date back to antiquity, born as a pilgrimage road. The name "Girolimini Trail", however, has its roots around 1452, the year the small monastery on the Summano was entrusted to the friars of Saint Jerome (known as the Girolimini). The monks enlarged and embellished the sanctuary and settled in the village of Piovene Rocchette, where they built a convent and a hospice for pilgrims headed for the summit.
In the following centuries, the convent of Piovene, the hermitage and the sanctuary enjoyed considerable fame throughout the Veneto and drew a constant flow of pilgrims seeking the graces and miracles of the Madonna. A 1777 decree of the Senate of the Venetian Republic, however, ordered the suppression of many religious orders and convents — Piovene among them — and the Summano sanctuary fell into decay. Reconstruction became possible only in 1892, on the initiative of the parish priest of Santorso, a town neighbouring Piovene Rocchette, with funding from Senator Alessandro Rossi. The Girolimini friars were recalled and housed in a villa in Santorso until the order's suppression in 1933. Ten years earlier, in 1923, Catholic Action — at the proposal of Monsignor Ferdinando Rodolfi — had a 16-metre concrete cross erected as a memorial to the Great War. Badly damaged by lightning, it was later fitted with a lightning rod, while the image of Christ was created by the sculptor Giorgio Sperotto of Marano Vicentino in 1993, added on the occasion of the decennial ascent of Monte Summano led by Monsignor Pietro Nonis.
Useful information on the Girolimini Trail
- Starting point: "Birreria Vecia" in Piovene Rocchette; alternatively, you can drive up to the Sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Angelo.
- Season: all seasons.
- Length: 6 km out and 6 km back — 12 km in total, with 950 m of elevation gain. From Piovene Rocchette (277 m) to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Summano (1,200 m), plus another 96 m for those who want to reach the Cross.
- Difficulty: easy-to-moderate (CAI grade: E — hiking). The trail is wide, perfectly maintained and easy to follow, though rugged in places. It is somewhat tiring and fairly long: not to be underestimated, and to be tackled with proper trekking footwear.