San Ciriaco
(Negrar-Castel-Quena-Dosso-S.Ciriaco-Negrar)
                  

Description

The walk starts in front of Negrar church. Go down the road to the Town Hall, turn left and walk along Via Mazzini, past the shops.

After the primary school and the sports fields, turn right through the car park and cross the main road and the bridge over the river bed leading to the residential estate known as ‘Arena Verde’. Turn right immediately after the bridge and on the far side of the small car park take the path around the perimeter of the estate, following the signs to 'Parry Bed and Breakfast'. Continue to the far end of the path, then turn left up some steps and walk along the second side of the estate to the end of the path.  Leave the estate here and turn right along a small path  into the fields with a cherry orchard on the left and vineyards on the right. 

 At the end of the path, turn left along a track which leads slightly uphill to the north and comes out on the road. Turn right and then after a few metres, right again, taking the road up towards Vigolo (sign-posted to Vigolo, Ara, Castel, Pezzabona and Preperchiusa). At the junction at the top of the road, turn left by the shrine of San Vincenzo, and walk up towards Castel di Negrar, bearing left at the top of the hill.(alt. 303).   

From Castel the road levels out for a stretch and then goes uphill towards  Ara, a small group of houses on the left. Just beyond Ara turn off the road to the left following the signpost for Pezzabuona, and take the lower path which leads to Quena. Half way along the path, there is a white marble cross in memory of Righetti Domenico dated 7/5/1992.  In Quena (alt. 342), we recommend a stop to admire the architecture of the houses, the fountain and the wash basin; there is also an attractive shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary dating from 24 May 1886, when Luigi di Canossa was Bishop of Verona.

From the fountain of Quena take the path with a stone wall to the right of the houses, after a few metres turn left and follow the path behind the houses, and on into the vineyards. Continue along the path to the group of houses at Dosso, where you will find an interesting wooden cross and a farmhouse with a fresco  on the wall on the right.Turn right along the road, which becomes a grassy path leading downhill and then uphill into a wood. Keep to the left through the wood; after a 10 minute walk the path comes out onto the road above S. Ciriaco, opposite the San Ciriaco Relais (alt. 374). 

Turn left here and follow the road down to the little church in San Ciriaco (alt. 357). Look for the sacred relic dating from 1768 behind glass at the top of the wall.  Continue down the road after the church and then take the first track to the right which will take you down to Mulino di Villa. Walk past 4 yellow grain silos and over the bridge, then bear right and you will come out on the main road (SP12) opposite a group of houses. Cross the road and walk to the back of the houses where you will find the start of a path running alongside an old dry stone wall which leads down towards the vineyards. Follow the path down into the Molino Vecchio (Old Mill) valley. On the other side, follow the path uphill to where it joins a track running along the top of the field. Turn left and follow the track to Negrar-Torbe road. Turn left here and walk down to the first bend where a path leads off to the right between a small group of houses. Follow the path downhill to where it joins the road again. 

In order to avoid walking back into Negrar on the main road, we suggest walking through the vineyards. A gate on the right, which is always open, leads into the fields.  Follow one of the rows of grapes in the direction of Negrar and after a short walk, leave the vineyard to return to the main road at the junction with Via Osteria Vecchia. Cross the main road and take the Villa road uphill until you get to the first bend, where you take a path on the right between vineyards and cherry trees leading back towards Villa Rizzardi.  Follow the walls of the villa and at the end of the path walk past the entrance to the villa and straight on past the shrine on the left. At Casa Poiega take a path to the right of the house, which turns into Via Guglielmi and then Via Pio X  and takes you back into the centre of Negrar.         

Map 

Distance and rise

Curiosities

	Castel di Negrar Probably used to be the seat of the old castle.
From Dosso alt. 308 mt. There is a fine view over the valley and an attractive fountain and washbasin with the inscription “drink the snail’s water and you will digest well.”
	A crucifix on a stone, showing the signs of the crucifixion (hammer, nails etc) and the date 1799 - 1887.
A fresco of the Madonna with Child and two angels on the façade of a building in traditional Lessinia style (thought to be by the painter Celestino Dal Barco, who painted subjects with closed eyes) and some sculptures by Nello Sartorari
	Quena  alt. 342 mt. Known as “Coena” in 1246, it seems that the name comes from the word "coa" or small piece of land with a tail, or elongated shape.
San Ciriaco Known as "Ceriàgo" in 1234, the name was altered to "Ciriaco"
	The chapel of San Ciriaco Built in 1758, and restored in 1951, there is an inscription on the left side above the second door referring to the chapel’s foundation in 1758, and a relic in a glass case with 4 crosses.
Casa Gazzola- Sartorari from the end of the 16th century, with dovecote. In the villa there are a number of painted and sculpted templar crosses.