We are in a town that speaks to the whole world thanks to the International Red Cross Museum and the figure of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, patron saint of young people, whose basilica attracts pilgrims and visitors from all over the world every year.
After passing through the historic centre, take Via Moscati and continue along Via Porta Lago, where, at the end, you leave the town behind you. The route passes from the urban to the natural environment, entering the landscape of the morainic hills, among vineyards, fields and rows of trees.
Continue along Via Astore until you reach the junction indicating the Convent of Santa Maria, a much-loved place and the site of the early spiritual formation of the young Luigi Gonzaga. The convent, situated on the top of a hill, was built on the foundations of an ancient Roman domus, in whose cellars there is an ancient spring with a moulded basin, probably of Etruscan origin.
From the convent, continue towards Astore, a small village and beautiful vantage point over the surrounding hills and close to the morainic ridge between Monte Confine, Passo dei Corvi and Monte Pelato, where the Gonzaga family enjoyed hunting with falcons and hawks.
Through carriage roads, wide landscapes and rows of vines, you reach Solferino, with the tower of the fortress known as “La spia d’Italia” (the spy of Italy) clearly visible on the horizon, emerging from the high hill to protect the village below.
This is the scene of the bloody battle fought on 24 June 1859 between Solferino and San Martino, during the Second War of Independence, between the French and Piedmontese armies and the Austrians, which saw the defeat of Austria, with thousands of deaths on both sides.
It was among these places that Henry Dunant, in Castiglione delle Stiviere, created the Red Cross to help the suffering and wounded in battle. In memory of this great figure, near the fortress, a discreet path leads through the silence of the woods to the Red Cross Memorial.
The route continues, passing the nearby Museum of the Risorgimento and the Ossuary, where the remains of 1,400 soldiers have been collected and laid to rest in memory of the tragic event.
Immediately after the ossuary, towards the centre of Solferino, take the nearby Via Prati and enter a bucolic setting, among cypress trees, dry meadows and beautiful views of the Rocca di Solferino behind you.
Continue through hilly landscapes, wild meadows and quiet dirt roads until you reach Cavriana, an elegant and cosy village surrounded by walls and rich in historical and spiritual heritage.
Once in the village, you will come to Villa Mirra, a refined 16th-century residence that now houses the Archaeological Museum of the Upper Mantua area.
Entering the museum is like leafing through a book made of stone: each room takes visitors on a journey through time, from the first Palaeolithic settlements to the Risorgimento, with artefacts that seem to whisper forgotten stories.
The park of Villa Mirra, a small botanical gem, invites you to pause and contemplate among Lebanese cedars, alders and cypresses: a perfect place to stop and reflect on the journey you have made.
A little further on, you will reach the end of this first stage at the Romanesque church of Santa Maria dell’Assunta.

What to see along the way

• Castiglione delle Stiviere: International Red Cross Museum An interactive journey through the origins and evolution of the Red Cross. An important stop to understand how a battle can generate hope.
• Castiglione delle Stiviere: Basilica of St. Aloysius Gonzaga A spiritual centre and pilgrimage destination, the basilica is also a testament to the artistic and religious fervour of the Gonzaga marquisate.
• Castiglione delle Stiviere: Cathedral of Castiglione delle Stiviere In addition to its neoclassical architecture, it is striking for having been a place of care during the Battle of Solferino, where Dunant worked.
• Castiglione delle Stiviere: MUDRI – Diffused Museum of the Risorgimento Itinerary of the Municipality of Castiglione delle Stiviere “25 June 1859. The population comes to the aid of the wounded”.
• Castiglione delle Stiviere: Convent of Santa MariaAn oasis of peace and history, with Roman archaeological remains and an Etruscan spring.
• Solferino: Museum, Ossuary and FortressAn immersive journey through memories of the Risorgimento, patriotic symbols and silences that speak to the conscience.
• Solferino: MUDRI – Diffused Museum of the Risorgimento Itinerary of the Municipality of Solferino “24 June 1859. The French assault on the Fortress”.
• Cavriana: Parish Church of Santa Maria in Cavriana Pure Romanesque style, ancient frescoes and a landscape that invites you to pause and meditate.
• Cavriana: Villa Mirra and Archaeological Museum An aristocratic residence converted into a cultural space, it is a bridge between the distant past and the present. The museum tells the story of man in these lands.

The natural landscape

This stop is a journey through geology and biodiversity. The morainic hills of the Upper Mantua area were created by thousands of years of glacial activity, which left behind basins, ridges and deposits of sand, clay and pebbles. The landscape alternates between cultivated fields, woods, dry meadows and wetlands, creating a mosaic of ever-changing ecosystems, with the Castiglione delle Stiviere and Solferino nature reserves as showcases. The most characteristic plant species include hornbeams, oaks, junipers, downy oaks and turkey oaks. The slopes are also home to rare orchids and prized mushrooms.
The fauna is equally rich: birds such as golden orioles, hoopoes, blackbirds and finches populate the woods, while mustelids and green lizards roam the meadows.

For those who walk

The stage from Castiglione to Cavriana is a caress on the heart, a journey that regenerates. Between spirituality, memory and nature, every step accompanies the wayfarer to rediscover the slowness and depth of everyday life.
Welcome to the Carolingian Way.

Alternative routes

1. Morenic Hills Cycle Paths cycling routes through nature and villages
2. Path of Faith and Solidarity a spiritual variation
3. Variation from Lonato (Maguzzano Abbey) a route connecting the ancient Benedictine abbey in Castiglione delle Stiviere, passing through the Rocca di Lonato and the village of Esenta