St. James' Way in Valle Stura | Stage 1 Cuneo-Gaiola

Arriving from Via Roma into Piazza Galimberti, take the first exit to the right under the arch and continue on Via Basse Sant'Anna which slopes down to the left, passing under the bridge and then straight downhill between houses to the walkway on the Stura; after 200 meters turn left onto Via Antica di Vignolo and follow the road for 1.2 km up to a stable.

Turn left again onto Via Antica di Vignolo, at the end keep right on the paved road passing under the bridge which after a short while becomes a dirt track; at the fork ignore the road going up and continue straight on flat ground, at the next fork always go straight on flat ground arriving at a bridge that crosses a canal on the right and climb up to another fork going left on flat ground.

After 800 meters you cross a bridge continuing to the right along the canal and then passing near the Stura. Arriving at water intakes for the canals, cross the bridge continuing with a slight climb and then flat ground to the F. Olivero hydroelectric plant. After crossing the bridge and the plant, at the next fork continue straight towards Ponte del Sale.

When the cycle path turns right, continue straight on the path in front which runs alongside the canal passing under the Ponte del Sale, always straight along the canal up to the locks on the Stura. Cross the footbridge and move to the right of the canal climbing the embankment for about 100 meters to reach the SP121. At the top turn left downhill crossing the bridge and continue for 2 km reaching the entrance of Roccasparvera, ignore on the left Via 25 Aprile and Strada della Braida up to the stop sign, turn right, and after about 100 meters turn left downhill, arriving at Piazza Robbione-Alliaud, where the municipal cemetery is located. From this square, climb slightly up Via Vignolo, after 150 meters you reach a fork, take Via Luigi Fantino on the right and after 70 meters, passing in front of the church of the Confraternity of San Sebastiano, you reach the beautiful Piazza Castello where a beautiful medieval washhouse-fountain is located.

At the end of the square going downhill you will find a second small square where the town hall and the parish church of Sant' Antonio are located. Between the two buildings you will find a beautiful medieval staircase that descends to Via Menardi, where the post office is located, from here turn right, and gently uphill you reach a fork with Via Luigi Fantino on the right, a few meters further you exit the village through Porta Bolleris.

After 600 meters reaching the Sanctuary Madonna delle Grazie, turn left onto SP121 following it for 1.5 km up to the entrance of Castelletto, take Via Maestra on the right and after 100 meters on the left in the former school there is the Hostel. Continuing you reach the chapel of S. Rocco with Santiago shell, take the right uphill path, descend onto SP346 and continue right for 300 meters reaching a votive shrine where you must turn left, cross the bridge and immediately after turn right following the road uphill.

Passing behind a group of houses (Borgata Occelli) you reach a fork, cross the asphalt straight ahead and take the path in front with a slight climb that runs alongside a stone wall. Climb through the woods always keeping the main path and further on you will find a wooden marker made by Paolo Girodengo to “encourage” pilgrims heading to Santiago de Compostela, and shortly after you arrive at the chapel of S. Bernardo, the oldest in Valle Stura. After passing the stone wall, descend on the left path under the white road. Further on, cross a dirt track continuing to descend on the path in front until you reach the washhouses and the first houses of Gaiola, continue straight on Via G. Fiore which enters the village arriving at the church, passing behind it and descending Via Undici Febbraio you reach the hostel on Piazza del Pelerin.

BY CAR

Cuneo is connected to Turin and the Ligurian coast through the A6 Turin - Savona motorway, Mondovì toll booth.

Another connection is State Road 20.

BY AIR

Cuneo Levaldigi Airport

www.aeroporto.cuneo.it 

Turin Caselle International Airport

www.aeroportoditorino.it

BY TRAIN: Cuneo railway station

Trenitalia

Call Center tel. 892021

www.trenitalia.it

The large Piazza Galimberti in Cuneo is the heart of the city and home to the renowned Tuesday market. Overlooking the square is Museo Casa Galimberti, an old upper-middle-class residence and studio where the partisan hero Duccio Galimberti lived with his family.

To the southwest of the square unfolds Corso Nizza, the city's shopping center: it is the extension of the porticoes of Via Roma and stands out for its precise and imposing arrangement of buildings that ideally lead to the road to France. In the opposite direction, walking along Via Roma, entirely pedestrianized, you encounter the neoclassical façade of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Bosco, whose original core already existed at the time the city was founded (1198).

In Piazza Virginio stands the grand monumental complex of the former church and convent of San Francesco which houses the archaeological and ethnographic collections of the Civic Museum. Returning to Via Roma, you climb the Civic Tower, built in 1317, to admire a splendid panorama encompassing the city, the plain, and the mountains. One of the most evocative corners of Cuneo is certainly Contrada Mondovì, formerly the Jewish ghetto, where the Confraternity of San Sebastiano and the Diocesan Museum are located. On Piazza Ex Foro Boario, now a lively pedestrian area, overlooks the Tourism House, headquarters of the ATL of Cuneo, tourism operators and the Tourist Information and Welcome Office IAT.

A top quality of life at the national level, abundant greenery, and an effective network of cycle paths have allowed Cuneo to rank among the top positions in the 2023 Urban Ecosystem, the special green ranking by Legambiente and Ambiente Italia. The city offers various opportunities for escapes into nature, for example for a relaxing walk along Viale degli Angeli, or for hikes and rides in the Gesso and Stura River Park, which surrounds the city. A panoramic elevator, also available to cyclists, connects the historic center to the equipped areas of the Park.

Surrounded by an imposing alpine amphitheater, less than an hour from the main ski resorts of the province, the city is the ideal starting point for exceptional outdoor experiences. Cuneo is Alpine City of the Year 2024.

Visit the city with the Museo Diffuso Cuneese