VALLE VERMENAGNA, VERNANTE
VERNANTE, LAND OF PINOCCHIO AND TOUROUSELA: VALLE VERMENAGNA
Comune di Vernante
1.6 km (1 mi) one way
Easy stroll through the fairytale world of Pinocchio, the tales of his adventures depicted on the walls of many buildings in the center of town, and up to the vista point at Lascaris Tower, also known as Tourousela. From the large parking area across the Vermenagna river, head towards the center of town along Vicolo degli Orti to the left, just across the highway.
Please note that itineraries may include roads where motor vehicles are allowed. Authors and trail testers are not responsible for the information contained.
Although the streets of the village are accessible to strollers, the climb up to Tourousela as described above is not. With strollers, you can get to the Lascaris Castle by following the alternate descent in the opposite direction, which is almost entirely paved. This way, you will only have about a hundred meters of dirt road to do.
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Just past the fountain, take via Molino Sottano uphill to the right. This isn’t the most direct route, but it will take you to see more of Vernante’s murals. All of the murals reflect the style of Attilio Mussino, the first to illustrate Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio in color and who lived the latter years of his life in Vernante, where he also founded an art school open to all, free of charge.
But keep your eyes peeled, as they aren’t always readily visible. Sometimes, you’ll need to peek down passageways or look up high to find them! When you reach the parish church, take Via Umberto I to the right, a street that is for pedestrians only.
Go all the way to the end of via Umberto I, past the train station and out of the center of town, where you will find a small park with a fountain and bench near the remains of an old glass factory, which shut down in 1978 after years of booming business that began in the 1950s. From here, take via Mistral to the left (red-and-white sign: “Castello 15 min”) up past the Cuneo-Ventimiglia railway line.
After the bridge over the railway tracks, keep to the left in the direction of the houses, then take Via Rapitun to the right, also uphill (not to be confused with a parking area before the houses). After a curve, the road turns to dirt and continues into a lovely, shaded wood. The climb continues gradually up to a small clearing before the Lascaris Castle, also known as “La Tourousela” (or “La Turusela”), a hexagonal tower with the remnants of a wall overlooking the village of Vernante.
The structure was erected in the late 13th century and served as a toll station along the road to colle di Tenda. The tower bears the name of its final owners, the Lascaris Family, Counts of Tenda. For the return trip, you may take the same route in reverse, or you can continue past the tower along another section of dirt road slightly uphill to the paved road. From here, simply follow the paved road down through a couple of switchbacks and below the railway line.
Take a look at the building immediately after the tracks: Casa Carlet. In addition to the murals, you will also, a bit to the left, see works of art in the garden, an exaltation of characters from The Adventures of Pinocchio. Carlet and Meo executed most of the murals in Vernante. From this building, continue on to Via Umberto I, near the church.