Madonna della Guardia trail

The starting point is not far from the railway station, walking up along Via Michelangelo to the first bend, you’ll see a villa with a gigantic araucaria tree in its garden that that towers above the perimeter wall. The route starts here: take the path on the right, signposted by , which climbs towards the Conchetta region with a sharp initial bend.

A little further uphill, at a colourful votive shrine dedicated to Our Lady, cross the paved road where the route continues between strips of land overgrown with acanthus and ailanthus. Shortly afterwards, you arrive at the old village of Casté, which surrounds the Madonna delle Grazie Church,  built where a medieval castle once stood; a characteristic alleyway leads up between the colourful houses to the small square in front of the church building, passing by an old wash-house with a fountain.

About 100 metres beyond the church, you come to a fork in the road: keep to the right and follow the paved road for more than a kilometre. After “cutting” two sharp bends, at an altitude of about 200 metres above sea level, you will notice on the right the mule track coming off the carriage road and meeting, 200 metres later, the footpath to Vegliasco, which heads up from the south-east.

Another half kilometre through abandoned olive groves and dry stone walls and you come to the town road of Palazzina: continue further uphill, in the direction of the large abandoned building that gives the place its name, until joining the town road to Vegliasco. A small connecting path shortens the route, linking the two parallel roads crossing through heather for a few dozen metres.

The route continues in the the shade of a wooded area leading you to the houses of Vegliasco: to reach the tower that is the symbol of the hamlet, it is advisable to follow the track that breaks away onto a rocky path in the bend to the south of the village and leads to the foot of the tower, in a dominant position at an altitude of around 350 metres.

The mule track towards the pass of Caso leaves Vegliasco continuing beyond the small alleyway that leads uphill through the houses. Follow the turning on the left at the last house where a path shaded by a beautiful oak woodland begins.

From the pass, you reach the church by following the Alta Via della Baia del Sole ( ) to the southwest, which winds through the shade of the forest along the ridge, just above the carriageway. Finally, you come to the highest peak of Mount Tirasso, where, at an altitude of 586 metres, you will find the sanctuary of Nostra Signora della Guardia.

To return to the city, an equally detailed itinerary is also suggested. From the large square of the sanctuary, on the western side of the clearing, you can see the track that heads down the ridge, first under a mixed conifer and broadleaf forest, then out into the scrub. 
Continuing along the water divide, the Alta Via della Baia del Sole () leads, first to the ‘torre pisana’ and then to the Crocetta pass. Follow the main road n. 55 from the pass for 600 metres until you come to the mule track that heads down to Moglio (): you will reach the village in less than half an hour. From the parish Church of San Sebastiano, you return to the town, always following the  signpost.