Cimirlo
Cimirlo Pass: a small gem in the province of Trento
Cimirlo Pass is a mountain pass located near Povo and Oltrecastello, in the Celva area. This pass, which reaches a maximum altitude of 730 meters above sea level, is located between Mount Celva (996 m) and the Marzola massif (1719 m). This small locality had strategic importance during the First World War, as evidenced by the numerous Austro-Hungarian trenches still visible today.
Geography
Cimirlo Pass is part of the municipality of Trento and is located in the valley delimited by the Marzola and Mount Celva. There are no watercourses in the pass and can be reached by an unpaved road recently repaved or by mountain bike. The pass hosts several villas once used as summer vacation residences but now inhabited full time, as well as a restaurant/brewery called Zimirlo Biergarten. Many trails marked by the Società Alpinisti Tridentini (SAT) start from here, allowing beautiful walks and excursions in the area. About six kilometers from the pass is the Maranza refuge, from which you can reach the top of the Marzola in about a two-hour walk.
History
During the First World War, Cimirlo Pass was an area of great strategic importance. Numerous trenches and forts were built, including Fort Roncogno, which is still visitable and is located at an altitude of 802 m. Cimirlo and Marzola were part of the line of fortifications that were supposed to protect the city of Trento from attacks by Italians coming from Valsugana and the Vigolana plateau. In the 1950s-60s, the area was discovered by many residents of Trento who built numerous single-family vacation villas. Today, many of these houses are inhabited permanently.
Gallery
The beauty of Cimirlo Pass is best described in these images. The first image shows the view of the city of Trento from Mount Bondone, which can be admired from Cimirlo Pass. The second, the old fountain, and the third image, the Casare meadows, give us an idea of what the area was like before the road leading to the pass was built. Finally, the Roncogno battery, restored in 2010, takes us back in time when the pass was still part of the Austrian fortifications on the Italian border.
Related Voices
Cimirlo Pass is part of the municipality of Trento and is located near Povo, Oltrecastello and Celva.
Other projects
To discover more about Cimirlo Pass, visit the following websites:
- Trentinocultura.net: Cimirlo and Marzola
- Atlasweb.it: Cimirlo and Austrian fortifications
