The Modenese Apennine Fairy Tale Trail

Located in the heart of the Modenese Apennines, the Fairy Tale Trail is an artistic and tourist itinerary that starts from Pavullo nel Frignano (a town about 50 kilometres from our agriturismo) and unravels through the hamlets and villages of Pavullo in the footsteps of characters and anecdotes that tell the history of the area. Along the route, fairy tales and legends of local tradition come to life through works of art created by nationally renowned painters, illustrators, sculptors and ceramists. The works are accompanied by legends written in bilingual, by qrcodes to listen to the legend with a narrator’s voice, and by the Cassette del viandante (Traveller’s Boxes) (where you can leave a trace of your passage).

Stage #1 Lavacchio – Legend of Dead Hen

In the village of Lavacchio, located in the hamlet of Niviano and known for its murals, is the first stop. On the water cabin, located on a verdant hill, artist Simone Fazio has interpreted the legend of the Dead Hen with a mural painting. Regarding the legend, it is said that, long ago, there was a bloody battle between the Romans and the Gauls at Le Aie. The inhabitants of Niviano prayed to Saint Roch to protect them and the victory actually took place. Numerous Gauls lost their lives and even after many years, human bones were found. In order to thank St Roch, an oratory was erected on the site dedicated to him.

Stage #2 Montecuccolo – Legend of the Dragon

The second stop is at the entrance to the hamlet of Montecuccolo, where the castle of the same name stands (which houses important art collections by Pavullo artists and the Museo Naturalistico del Frignano). The Formella MM Collective made a ceramic dragon to interpret the legend of the dragon. According to the legend, in a cave hidden in the forest lived a dragon so fearsome that no one had ever dared to approach it. One day, two old men went near the cave to work the earth and suddenly saw seven sheets of fire glowing. They were the seven heads of the dragon, which had awoken. Everyone rushed to the spot and when they saw that the dragon really existed, they abandoned their homes and fled far away. When the dragon fell asleep again, the locals managed to kill it and resumed their lives as usual.

Stage #3 Gaiato – Legend of the last leaf

At the hamlet of Gaiato is the third stage. On the wall of the hospital Villa Pineta, the Roman artist Alessandra Carloni has depicted the legend of the last leaf with a street art intervention. Regarding the legend, it is told that in the forest lived a beautiful maiden, loved by all, who one day fell seriously ill. The Great Sage of the place told her that she would live until the day the last leaf of a tree was left hanging. When autumn came, in front of the little window of the house where the maiden lived was a chestnut tree that was almost bare. The wise old man had a bright idea. He thought of gluing with resin the last leaf that was about to fall. That morning the girl thought ‘only one day will I live’ but the leaf no longer fell. The girl realised that she was healed by the pure air of the forest, the affection of her friends and the wisdom of the old wizard.

Stage #4 Pavullo – Legend of the Pilgrim

The fourth stop is in Pavullo. On the electrical cabin in Via Nuvolari, the artist Andrea Gianfanti has interpreted the legend of the pilgrim with a mural painting. According to the legend, there were often parties in Pavullo in the houses of the rich. One evening, a beggar went from house to house asking for bread and a place to rest. But no one was kind to him. The pilgrim was exhausted, when he saw a path leading to a small house, in which three sisters lived. He knocked and was immediately welcomed and fed. Before going to bed, the pilgrim made the sign of the cross and as he left the kitchen he said ‘if you hear any noises during the night, do not be frightened!’. During the night, lightning and thunder shook the earth. When dawn broke, the three sisters opened the door and before their eyes lay nothing but an immense expanse of water. ‘How will the pilgrim leave?’ asked one sister. The eldest knocked on the wayfarer’s room: ‘Come out! Come and see the disaster!’ No answer. So she opened the door and the wayfarer had disappeared. All three whispered together: ‘But that pilgrim was the Lord!’.

Stage #5 Pavullo – Legend of Frinia

Also in Pavullo is the fifth stop. At the electrical cabin at the entrance to the Minelli stadium, artist Andrea Casciu has created a mural painting to represent the legend of Frinia. The ancient town of Frinia, located on the Modena-Pistoia road, is remembered by several legends. One of these tells of an earthquake, which caused it to sink into the lake (today’s Torba). For three days, roosters were heard crowing and, since the catastrophe occurred at night, it is thought that the roosters, locked up in their hen houses, sank slowly and continued crowing for a long time.

Stage #6 Gaiato – Legend of the Bell

The sixth stop is at the foot of the medieval tower of Gaiato, the last vestige of an important 13th-century castle. The ceramic sculptor Giuseppe Modena has created, with hundreds of circular tiles, a large pomegranate to interpret the legend of the Bell and its treasure. The pomegranate, symbol of abundance and prosperity, recalls, like the tower, the legendary Grand Countess Matilda of Canossa (frequently depicted with a pomegranate). It has always been said that a bell full of gold coins is buried at the foot of the old building. No one has ever seen it, but to this day the same phrase is repeated: ‘The treasure is there, but it disappears when it is about to be found!’.

Stage #7 Monzone – Legend of the Devil’s Bridge

The seventh stage is located in the hamlet of Monzone, where a path leads to the Devil’s Bridge (also known as Ponte d’Ercole), a monolith more than 30 metres high that has been hollowed out over the years by atmospheric agents. Here, artist Gionata Orsini has created five wooden sculptures depicting the protagonists of the legend of the Devil’s Bridge. The striking and majestic figure of the bridge has led to the creation of several legends about its supernatural formation. According to one of these, many years ago a farmer, a certain Messer Polo, had his house and farm divided by a large stream and when the stream swelled, he was forced to make a long detour to reach the fields and the same to return home. The farmer asked the devil to build him a bridge so that he could cross the swollen torrent in exchange for his soul. Faithful to his pledge, the devil set out during the night with a long stone bridge to throw it across the agreed point. But he was distracted by a dance of witches who caught his attention with music. At a certain point the cockerel announced dawn and the devil, the enemy of light, furiously fled, abandoning the bridge where we can still admire him today.

Stage #8 Frassineti – Legend of the Three Chestnuts

The Frassineti hamlet is home to the eighth stage. On the public wall along Via Serre, the Frassineti Fractional Circle has created a large mural painting to narrate the legend of the three chestnuts. The route ends on a natural terrace, where a large installation also dedicated to the legend has been created. Regarding the latter, it is said that San Rigo used to chop wood in the shade of a large tree and thank God for the strength it gave him and the shade it provided. One day he heard some mountain people, not far from him, complaining about their condition. Moved by their complaints, the Saint prayed to God to please them. After praying, he went to the mountaineers and, raising his head, he saw among the leaves of a tree a round, thorny hedgehog that he had never seen before. He drew the sign of the cross on the hedgehog, which opened into four and let out three beautiful, swollen and shiny chestnuts. Then he said ‘these are like three sacks of sweet flour, you will not go hungry in the longest winters’ and proceeded to divide them ‘one to the master, one to the farmer and one to the poor’.

Main photo © Municipality of Pavullo nel Frignano | Photo gallery photo © Travel Emilia Romagna