Sentiero Monte dei Preti (Monte dei Preti Path)

Next to the Porta del Soccorso, the narrow path known familiarly as ‘Monte dei Preti’ (Priest’s Mount) opens up, as a result of its proximity to the former Bishop’s Seminary. The route runs along a large part of the defensive walls of Bertinoro built in different periods between the 17th and 18th centuries. Entirely built in spungone rock, the walls are studded with majestic towers guarding the Bidente valley, which marked the frontier between the Church State and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Some of them are still used as residences. At the beginning of the trail is the Ex-Seminary snowpit. Entirely dug out of the spungone and intended to collect snow during winter in order to have ice available for food preservation or to keep cool the excellent Albana that the rectors of the Seminary once produced. Today the grotto houses a precious ceramic nativity scene and can be visited during the Christmas period.

The path is immersed in silence and, walking along it, one still feels as if the slow footsteps of the sentinels or the young seminarians chanting can still be heard.