The first village you come to is Felonica, with its elegant Romanesque parish church of Santa Maria Assunta, founded in the Canossian era and discreetly overlooking the Po. The encounter is striking: the church appears suddenly, almost like an ancient sentinel facing the river rather than the village. Here, Benedictine monks once watched over the pilgrims’ journey and the safety of navigation.
In Felonica, the Po River World War II Museum is well worth a visit: a moving and well-curated collection of documents, photographs and war memorabilia that recount the events of the river front and the crossing of the Po by Allied troops in 1945. The memory of the war is intertwined with the landscape, the voices of witnesses and the power of the river.
After a refreshing break – perhaps with a slice of tiròt, a rustic focaccia with local onions, with a strong, authentic flavour – the journey continues. The route continues along the riverbank, following the natural curve of the Po, which becomes increasingly impressive here.
The landscape stretches out between cultivated fields and neat rows of trees, natural oases and wetlands, an ideal refuge for migratory birds and native species.
You then arrive at Quatrelle, the last town in the province of Mantua before the border with the province of Ferrara.
Here you can visit the Church of the Nativity of Mary, dating back to the 17th century, rebuilt after the 2012 earthquake and reopened in 2022: a small testimony of faith and resilience, embellished with a beautifully crafted wooden crucifix.
A few more steps and you reach the end of the route: the ramp leading up to the majestic and solemn Rocca Possente di Stellata marks the border between the Gonzaga and Este territories.
Built in the Middle Ages to control river traffic, the fortress retains its charm: spear-tipped walls, sloping bastions to withstand artillery, and a profile that stands out clearly against the sky. Pilgrims who reach it know that their journey has come to its natural end.

What to see along the way

• Felonica: Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta Founded in the 10th century and linked to the local Benedictine abbey, the church stands out for its unusual position, facing the river rather than the village. It is a solemn structure, steeped in silence and spirituality.
• Felonica: Museum of the Second World War on the River Po Housed in the former elementary school of Felonica, it is one of the richest thematic museums in northern Italy. A living memory of the conflict that deeply marked this border area.
• Quatrelle di FelonicaChurch of the Nativity of Mary A small Baroque gem built on top of a medieval church, with frescoes that have unfortunately been lost, but with a wooden crucifix of great value. A place that preserves faith and memory.
• Stellata: Rocca Possente di Stellata The last bastion of the journey, overlooking the Po and surrounded by charm. Built around the year 1000, renovated by the Este family and then by Urban VIII, it represents the deep connection between water, defence and power.

The landscape of silence

This stage is dominated by the voice of the river. The Po accompanies every step, a constant, liquid and powerful presence. The embankment road becomes a ribbon suspended between sky and water, where the gaze wanders and thoughts become clear. In spring, the fields are coloured green and yellow; in summer, the light bounces off the water’s surface; in autumn, the river is shrouded in mist and mystery.
The floodplain landscapes reveal their variety: river woods, oxbow lakes and wet grasslands, where herons, black-winged stilts and night herons nest. The UNESCO MaB Po Grande Reserve protects this fragile biodiversity, entrusting it to the care of local communities and the awareness of those who pass through it.

End of the road

The arrival at the Rocca di Stellata marks the end of the Via Carolingia in Mantua. A journey that is not only a physical journey, but also an inner experience. Each stage has been an encounter: with history, nature and people. From the Mincio to the Po, from the heart of Lombardy to the threshold of Emilia, the wayfarer has crossed rich and generous lands, where water is mother, way and border.
And here, where the road meets the fortress and the river prepares to leave Lombardy, the journey gives way to reflection. Every step has built a bridge between past and present, between faith and curiosity, between the desire to leave and the joy of arriving.
The journey is complete. But every journey, when it ends, is only the beginning of a new view on the world.