2020/10/23 Massicelle - Catona - Pisciotta

I walked this route as indicated. My GPS-recordings I used for improving openstreetmap and after that created this route using a route planner.

I started from Pisciotta by train transfering to bus 112 by Busitalia at Centola station and getting off at the small and quite scattered village of Massicelle. In early morning is was totally quiet. Walking down into the valley the little river Lambro is crossed over an old stone bridge called Mastromicco. Nearby are the remains of a former water mill. The path to it was barely cleared and may be blocked by vegetation. The section to follow is marked as Cammino di San Nilo, at first through forest, than after crossing another stream 300 m of very thick scrub. Here the path was quite well cleared. Also it appeared to be used frequently but may be blocked by vegetation as soon as maintenance gets interrupted. There would be a long detour necessary if not getting through.

Until the next stream to cross I walked on comfortable dirt roads along olive groves, first uphill towards Castinatelli but long before reaching the village turning left towards the remains of the Abbazia Santa Cecilia. This is a very beautiful place in a park like surrounding including picnic table and water fountain. The church has recently been renovated including conservation of some ruins. After crossing two dry waterways and some more olive groves I reached San Nazario finding a few people on the streets but neither any bar nor store open.

I continued on a cobblestone footway certainly from the pre automobile era along a little valley and the remains of another mill, continuing signalised as a hiking trail all the way until the crest of the nearby mountains. Along the way there were many chestnut trees and a few particularly rich and beautiful strawberry trees. The way along the ridge to Catona was unspectacular but I was very happy to get through without any barriers. Maybe this way has formerly been used by processions to the sanctuary Madonna del Carmine.

I first went into the village of Catona where I after all found a bar and then went to the sanctuary on the summit of Monte Carmelo. The church building is quite small und simple, the panorama spectacular, only in western directions blocked by the mounains I just had crossed.

After walking about one kilometer towards Ascea along a track I tried a path directly to Rodio shown in an old IGM 1:25000 map. In the beginning it was quite visible but futher on more and more overgrown. At the point I could not find the continuation there was a little stone wall giving way above the spines until an olive grove and the nearby road. This section can easily be surrounded over dirt roads (plus 900m).

The next part of the way is very nice - leading into the pittoresque village of Rodio with all facilities you would expect. The remaining way to Pisciotta is easy, well documented elsewhere and has been recently equipped with plenty of guideposts and iformation boards.