Monte Tobbio
Geography
The mountain stands on the Adriatic side of the drainage divide defined by the Ligurian Apennine. It's the main summit of the ridge which, starting from Monte delle Figne, goes North dividing Gorzente and Lemme valleys. Administratively mount Tobbio belongs to the municipality of Bosio (province of Alessandria, Piedmont).
Due to its prominent location Monte Tobbio is very easily recognisable from large areas both of the Ligurian Apennine and Po plain.
Environment
Monte Tobbio slopes are generally rocky and almost barren due to the poor soil formed by its peridotites bedrock.
Since 1979 the mountain belongs to the Capanne di Marcarolo regional natural park. The mountain and its surrounding area are also part of a SIC (Site of Community Importance) called "Capanne di Marcarolo" (code: IT1180026).
History
On the summit stands a little church dedicated to Our Lady of Caravaggio. It was built in 1892 and rebuilt after severe damages occurred during the world War II.
In 1944's spring a group of Italian partisans were surrounded by fascist and nazi troops on mount Tobbio. After a fight some of them managed to break the blockade while some others, after being captured, were transported near the Benedicta Abbey and executed by firing squads on April the 7th 1944.
Access to the summit
Monte Tobbio can be reached by signposted footpaths departing from Voltaggio or Bosio. It can also be accessed by a longer path from Monte delle Figne, while the shortest way to climb the mountain from an asphalted road starts from the "Valico degli Eremiti" ("Hermites' pass", m.559) and takes around 1.30 hours walk.
Climbing Monte Tobbio is one of the most popular hikes of SE Piedmont and province of Genoa and in clean days offers an impressive panorama ranging from the Ligurian Sea to a large stretch of the Italian Alps. Some branches of the Club Alpino Italiano (C.A.I.) organize every year night hikes to the mountain, as for instance the local C.A.I. group of Casale Monferrato.
Mountain huts
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/Monte_tobbio_cappella_rifugio.png/220px-Monte_tobbio_cappella_rifugio.png)
- Maria Santissima di Caravaggio: on the top of the mountain, a room contiguous to the small church can be used as an emergence hut.
- Rifugio Escursionistico Nido Del Biancone, owned by the park and located in Frazione Capanne di Marcarolo (Bosio).
References
- ^ Genova Varazze Ovada, carta 1:50.000 n.16, Istituto Geografico Centrale (Torino)
- ^ Key col: saddle near Cascina Carrosina (825 m)
- ^ Atti della Società ligure di storia patria (PDF). Vol. 30. Società ligure di storia patria. 1900. p. 325. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
- ^ 1:25.000 map of Istituto Geografico Militare (IGM), on-line on www.pcn.minambiente.it
- ^ "Sul monte Tobbio". www.miapavia.it (in Italian). Buon Vento. 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
- ^ Salvo, Marco; Daniele Canossini (2003). Appennino ligure e tosco-emiliano. Guida ai monti d'Italia (in Italian). Club Alpino Italiano. p. 86. ISBN 9788836527755. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
- ^ "L'Area Protetta - Carta d'identità". www.parks.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2016-04-05.
- ^ Settore gestione proprietà regionali forestali e vivaistiche (2003). ALLEGATO IV - schede dei siti di interesse comunitario (PDF) (in Italian). Regione Piemonte. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
- ^ "Il rastrellamento dell'aprile 1944". www.istitutoresistenza-ge.it (in Italian). ILSREC - Istituto ligure per la storia della Resistenza e dell’età contemporanea. Archived from the original on 2017-05-10. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
- ^ "Sentiero Voltaggio - Monte Tobbio". www.provincia.alessandria.gov.it (in Italian). Provincia di Alessandria. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
- ^ "Tobbio m. 1092 Figne m. 1172". www.escursioniliguria.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2016-04-05.
- ^ "Salita notturna al Monte Tobbio (E)". www.caisansalvatoremonferrato.com (in Italian). Retrieved 2016-04-06.
- ^ "Rifugio Escursionistico Nido Del Biancone". www.parks.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2016-04-05.
External links
- Da Voltaggio al monte Tobbio, hike description on www.regione.piemonte.it (in Italian)
- Appennino piemontese, on-line guidebook of the Regione Piemonte, available for free in .pdf on www.regione.piemonte.it (in Italian)
Media related to Monte Tobbio at Wikimedia Commons