21. Mezzano Scotti to Bobbio

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The shortness of the route allows a large part of the day to enjoy Bobbio and visit this important place in the history of Saint Columban.

The sudden appearance of Bobbio rewards the pilgrim for all the efforts he has made so far, and the gradual descent towards the town makes it possible to get excited in advance.

3 points of interest

Ponte Gobbo
Historical
Hunchback bridge
The 273 metre long Old Roman Bridge of Bobbio was named Hunchback Bridge because of its irregular profile with 11 uneven arches and different heights. Nice overview of Bobbio from the bridge. There are three pairs of niches and crosses above the larger spans. In the two above the main arch, there are two statues, representing Saint Colomban and Notre-Dame du Secours.
St Columban
Abbey Museum
The abbey museum displays valuable objects such as Roman amphorae, an ivory shrine considered to be one of the finest works of art from the 15th to the 5th century, and votive ampoules (from the 5th to the 7th century) used by pilgrims travelling to Palestine to carry the sacred oil for the lamp that burned in front of the tomb of Christ.
Abbazia San Colombano
St Columban
Abbey of Sant Colomban
The abbey was founded by Saint Colomban in 614. Throughout the Middle Ages, it was one of the most important monastic centres in Europe, a kind of Montecassino in northern Italy between the 7th and 12th centuries: in fact, its famous Scriptorium had in its catalogue in 982 more than 700 codices which, after dispersion in other libraries, holds 25 of the 150 oldest Latin literature manuscripts in the world. The crypt of the abbey preserves the tomb of Saint Colomban.

Description

From Piazza San Paolo, take the main road (Via Roma) on the left until the sharp bend on the left:

Before this bend, continue along the axis of the Strada del Moione, which immediately turns left to leave the village. Continue along the gravel path until you reach a Y-shaped junction. Take the left-hand path which leads to a small tarmac road: turn right onto this road and then left onto the next larger one. Go up to the next hamlet (Centomerli).
In the houses at the watering hole, take the path that continues on the hillside through fields and forests, passing through the hamlet of Degara before joining a new tarmac road.
Descend this road on the left, which gradually leads to Bobbio, leaving the junctions for Cascina (right), Cognolo (left) and Cascina Morena (right) at the sides.
After a final bend, the descent leads to Viale Garibaldi. Turn right to enter Bobbio and reach the fountain in Piazza San Francisco. Continue along the pedestrian street (Contrada di Porta Nova) towards the town centre and turn into the first alley on the right (Via del Pozzo) which leads to the gardens at the foot of the abbey. Turn right into Piazza del Fara and then left into Via San Lorenzo to reach the entrance to the abbey church, at the end of which is the crypt and the tomb of Saint Columban, the final destination of this beautiful pilgrimage.

Departure : Church San Paolo, Piazza S. Paolo, 29022 Mezzano Scotti
Arrival : Abbey of Saint Columban, Piazza San Colombano, 29022 Bobbio
Towns crossed : Emilia-Romagna