The 16 Most Amazing Peaks around Santa Margherita Di Staffora

Each of these crosses, which travelers often encounter in the fields or, as here, on mountain peaks, is a reminder of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “Here on earth, His memory exists, but in the Kingdom of Heaven is His presence: this presence is the joy of those who have already attained salvation. Remembrance is our comfort, we who are still wanderers, traveling toward our homeland.” (Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, c. 1090–1153)

The small sacred monument we encounter on Monte Carmo is perhaps the perfect place for a brief moment of reflection. A few years ago, Christiane Völkel commented on the wonderfully fitting sentence by the Italian poet Francesco Petrarch (who lived in the 14th century), "Everywhere one has heaven above oneself," as follows: "What is the use of prayer? This question moves me (...) I have found for myself the answer and the certainty that when I pray I am with the Lord, or rather, that when I pray he is often noticeably closer to me than usual. Thus, I retain the possibility of pouring out my heart to him (...) This intimacy with him makes me believe in him."

Up here, on Monte Giarolo, the hiker won't find the classic summit cross that crowns many mountains. Instead, on a pedestal divided into two sections, stands the figure of the Risen Christ, adorned with a cross. Christ raises one arm in greeting—or rather, in blessing—and with the other, he embraces the cross, that gruesome symbol of suffering and death, which, through his resurrection, he transformed into a glorious symbol of victory over death.

At 1,473 meters above sea level, the peak of Mount Giarolo is on the so-called Ligurian Apennines but in the province of Alessandria, Piedmont. It is the northernmost point of the Antola chain and divides the Borbera and Curone valleys. On the summit there is a statue of Christ the Redeemer.

The most famous crucifix in Italy is not found on the tops of the mountains, although of course there are many summit crosses all over the country, such as here on Monte CARMO, but in literature: The author Giovanni Guareschi, spiritual father of the protagonists 'Don Camillo' and 'Peppone', has included another main character in his stories - which are well-known and popular far beyond the country's borders: the crucified Christ, who speaks to Don Camillo from the high altar. The author himself makes the following comment on this: "So you have to explain: if the priests feel insulted by Don Camillo, they can smash a candlestick on my skull for all I care; if the communists are insulted by Peppone, they can break a club in two on my back; but if someone feels insulted by Christ's speeches, there's nothing you can do. Whoever speaks in my stories... is my Christ, that is, the voice of my conscience. My personal business, my affair. And therefore: each for himself and God for all.” (G. Guareschi)

Mount Ebro (1700 m above sea level) is the most beautiful and panoramic mountain of the entire Ántola chain, and one of the most beautiful and panoramic of the entire Ligurian Apennines. It is a gigantic pyramid, mostly grassy, that rises on the watershed between Borbera and Curone, a short distance from the important node of Mount Chiappo. The slopes of the mountain are generally wide and slightly sloping, covered by thick woods at lower altitudes, and meadows above 1400-1500 meters. The imposing southern slope is an exception, which towers, very high and steep, over the village of Aie di Cósola.

Monte Chiappo (1700 m above sea level) is a large grassy mountain, vaguely shaped like a large pyramid, which rises on the main axis of the Ántola Chain. The Stàffora and Curone streams originate on its northern side; for this reason, near the summit the mountain range divides into three buttresses: the easternmost one divides the Stàffora Valley from the Trebbia Valley, rising further into Monte Lésima; the central one heads north, forming the watershed between Stàffora and Curone, while the western one, on which Monte Ebro stands, separates the Borbera Valley from the Curone Valley. The summit of the mountain is the meeting point between the regional borders of Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy.

The Feast of the Redeemer has been celebrated on Mount Giarolo since the beginning of the last century, when the first statue of the Redeemer was erected on August 11, 1901 (replaced with the new one exactly one hundred years later) in order to celebrate the 19th centenary of the birth of Christ. It was inaugurated by the Bishop of Tortona who, for the occasion, promoted a diocesan pilgrimage in which approximately 12,000 faithful participated. Since then, every year on the first Sunday of August tourists and faithful go to the top of the mountain to renew the tradition.