Il Sentiero della Ri-Conoscenza is a tribute to the Sambre valley and its people, who endured days of terror and mourning in early August 1944. After four years of war that had passed in relative quiet, so much so that many local farmhouses had become shelters for families fleeing the city, the arrival of the front line changed everything. As partisan troops descended from Monte Giovi to liberate Florence, Nazi-fascist forces unleashed brutal violence: summary executions struck both resistance fighters and unarmed farming families.
 
The trail connects thirteen locations where these tragic events took place.
Along the way, visitors encounter plaques, shrines, and memorial stones, many neglected or in poor condition, that testify to those days. The full loop covers 22.88 km, with an elevation gain of 1,025 meters. Starting and ending at the Casa del Popolo in Montanina, the route can be broken into shorter stages thanks to the CAI hiking network. It is best walked counter-clockwise, following the path as it was originally traced. The trail passes through landscapes largely unchanged since the 1940s, with houses and farmsteads that remain much as they were then. Its design was inspired by the accounts collected in Piero Mani’s book Tempi di Guerra (Times of War). Reading the book before setting out offers a deeper understanding of the events and the atmosphere of those years.

The Circolo is proud to make both the book and the trail available to the public,
in the belief that they can help strengthen a shared commitment to the values of the Resistance.