Ca' Gessi - Middle-earth Refuge Inauguration

Ca' Gessi, a new home for walkers

On June 7, 2026, in the hamlet of Onferno Castle in Gemmano, Province of Rimini (Emilia-Romagna), Ca' Gessi - Middle-earth Refuge was inaugurated. The structure, owned by the Municipality of Gemmano and entrusted to the iPodoEroi Association, serves as a starting and resting point for the Middle-earth Trail, a project to enhance hiking in Valconca. The refuge is located a short walk from the evocative Onferno Caves, part of the UNESCO site of karst and gypsum caves in the northern Apennines.

A celebration for the territory

The inauguration day felt like a true community celebration. In the afternoon, over a hundred hikers walked together along the trails around the hamlet, before the official ribbon-cutting ceremony led by the Mayor of Gemmano, Riziero Santi, and the president of iPodoEroi, Aldo Terzi. This was followed by a discussion panel, "Valconca in motion", dedicated to the future of hiking and tourism in the valley, with the participation of local associations.

Music and dinner under the stars

The evening combined culture and conviviality: the Schumann Quartet from the Moderna-Lettimi Conservatory and the Sophie B. Acoustic Duo provided live music for the opening, before a buffet dinner under the stars shared among hikers, residents, and friends of the association.

Twenty years of trails

The inauguration also celebrated the twenty years of activity of the iPodoEroi Association, which over two decades has conceived and mapped out major walking routes such as the Cammino dell'Eroe (from Piacenza to Rimini along the Apennine ridge), the RiMiRo (from Rimini to Rome on the Via Flaminia), and the Alta Via dell'Angelo. With Ca' Gessi, the association now has a fixed base from which to promote slow and sustainable tourism, transforming Valconca into a conscious destination for those who love to walk and discover the territory at a leisurely pace.