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Moggessa - Forgotten Villages

Moggessa - Forgotten Villages

Moggessa - Forgotten Villages

Page Type: Route

Location: Italy, Europe

Lat/Lon: 46.42144°N / 13.15235°E

Object Title: Moggessa - Forgotten Villages

Route Type: Hiking

Season: Spring, Summer, Fall

Time Required: Half a day

Difficulty: Easy walk

Route Quality: 
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Page By: Vid Pogachnik


Object ID: 720609

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The ruins of Moggessa di qua
The ruined part of Moggessa di qua
This is a special hike - no summits, no broad panoramas, just wandering through a land which was once populated, but is now almost completely abandoned. Yet, people are still living in those villages. A few old, solitude inhabitants who don't want to quit. Hundred years ago, in Moggessa there were 200 people living. Then they started to leave for a better life and the final strike was the earthquake in 1980-ies, after which no significant renovation was done.

On this tour we shall visit three villages which even nowadays no road reaches. It's 1 h 30 min walk to Moggessa di qua (Muiesse di ca) and the same amount of time to Stavoli from the nearest road. And to Moggessa di la (Muiesse di la) even 30 minutes more. The route will lead us by old, paved paths which for centuries people have used. From Moggessa di la to Stavoli there's a narrow path, scarcely marked, but not difficult, even if we are walking through wilderness. In summer you will welcome several nice ponds of crystal clear water in the creeks, flowing towards the south. All in all, this is a tour which you should do when due to certain reason higher mountains are not an option. We went on a hazy, stormy June day, just appropriate for those gorges. We expected nothing much attractive, but the hike exceeded our expectations.

Basic data

Moggessa round tour
Yellow lilies
Yellow lilies
Length of walk: some 15 km.

Cumulative altitude to overcome: some 850 m.

Time needed: 5 h 30 min to 6 h.

Difficulty: Mostly easy paths, on the descent from Moggessa di la to Torrente Glagno a steep path, which requires some safe step.

Remark: After very high rain, when creeks are wild, crossing them can become difficult.

Gear: Good shoes and poles.

Map: Tabacco 018 (Canal del Fero).

Getting There

Moggio Udinese
Moggio Udinese
You can do the round tour in any direction, but the recommended start is Moggio Udinese, the parking place by the church (monastery San Gallo) in Moggio Alto, some 390 m. You reach the town by SS13 road, after exiting from Udine - Tarvision highway at Pontebba. From the south you get there from the highway exit at Gemona.

Route Description

From the monastery in Moggio Udinese di Sopra you go towards the W-NW by Via Riu. At the end of the village you find inscription Moggessa di qua. After passing the last house the broad path enters the valley of Rio di Palis. It crosses the creek, continues up by the other side, and higher goes on the northern side again. in some 50 minutes you reach the saddle, 665 m.

On the other side the broad path is cut in steep slopes above Rio Moggessa. It is picturesque, descending all the time towards the NW. After 1 h 30 min (from the parking place) the nice, old path reaches the first houses of Moggessa di qua. It is worth sight seeing this small village, before you proceed.
Mopggessa di qua
In Moggessa di qua

In the village the marked path turns right and continues above Riu del Mulin in the N-NE direction. Ruins of an old mill which stopped operating in 1960-ies can be hardly seen, then you descend to the creek and cross it. The ascent to Moggessa di la takes another 15 minutes. Both villages are really picturesque, watching each other over a deep canyon.
Moggessa di la
Moggessa di la
An old house in Moggessa di la

Also Moggessa di la is worth exploring. A very well marked path goes above the village (by the little church) - it crosses the slopes and later enters Torrente Glagno, following it several hours northwards, all the way to the saddle below Monte Sernio. Don't take that path, it's another tour, long, hardly done in one day. Our path descends in the SW direction. In the lower part of the village you will find the inscription Stavoli - follow it. On Tabacco map this path is indicated as not marked, but you can follow rare red marks and the path is good. Across a nice grassy ridge you descend to the edge of the gorge, then the path turns down steeply and requires some care if slippery. You quickly lose altitude and the path brings you down to the place where Riu del Mulin flows into Torrente Glagno. The crossing of the latter creek is marked with ciarns. You go around the corner, some 50 meters downstream, where the path resumes. You will see a good red mark (arrow) showing where the path exits the valley (there's a ruined house a bit higher). But before attempting the ascent to Stavoli, consider taking a bath in the nearby nice pond. Or a relaxed sunbath!
Crossing Torrente Glagno
Crossing Torrente Glagno
Torrente Glagno
Torrente Glagno ponds

The ascent to Stavoli village will take you some 45 minutes. At first the path ascends in several turns, quite steeply in the SW direction, then it keeps just below a distinct ridge, going in the W direction. After reaching a (mostly) dry creek it crosses it and does a final ascent in several turns. Stavoli occupies a broad, grassy ridge. The village looks inhabited, you will see nice gardens nearby, but people are not keeping animals there, so they most likely make for living in the valley. In the village you turn sharp left, following the marked path No. 417 (inscription: Campiolo). Over nice meadows the path passes a small church, then starts descending through woods. A picturesque passage crosses a small ridge, then the path continues descending in several turns. It is broad and well beaten mule track. In some 30 minutes it descends to Torrente Glagno again, you cross the creek by an iron bridge. You lost almost all altitude. The path accompanies the left bank of Torrente Glagno, you are still in a nice gorge.
The church in Stavoli
Along Torrente Glagno
Along Torrente Glagno

After some time you reach the main railroad, but you see only a big tube exiting one slope of the gorge and immediately entering the other one. You ascend a bit, then continue through nice forrests away from the creek. In Campiolo you reach the asphalted road, by which you walk to Moggio.