HOME - TRAVO AND THE 2 STONES
Travo AND THE 2 STONES
between Stonhenge and the Pyramids of Giza
Probably no one will ever know or prove with certainty if there really is a link that goes beyond randomness, but it is a fact that two of the most mysterious and fascinating places in the world are perfectly aligned with the 2 Stones .
Stonehenge, Parcellara and Perduca and Pyramids of Giza are united by a subtle, fascinating and mysterious thread .
One more thing is certain, Pietra Parcellara and Pietra Perduca they release a positive energy , at least this is the clear perception that the many people who visit these places have.
This energy was also measured and the data collected are amazing.
In the belief that something supernatural or at least imponderable is happening up here thanks to the energy released by these rocks, Alberto Negri , founder and animator of "Spazio Tesla" , tried some time ago with his team to measure its vibration through a method, it must be said, not strictly scientific: the one indicated by Radioesthesia which calculates the energy spontaneously emitted by the Earth in unity Bovis (named after its inventor).
For the measurements they used the Pendulum combined with the Ångström Biometer and two copper rods curved at 90 ° to search for energy flows. Values they were truly surprising: at the foot of the churchyard, pointing towards the stone, they found 80 thousand Bovis units , while in the two basins it ranged between 30 and 40 thousand. The drinking water fountain in front of the church registered 15 thousand.
Extraordinarily high levels, given that a human body usually gets the Biometer up to 6,500 UB .
All higher vibrations are a sign of "positive energy" , with beneficial effects on health.
The crested newts and the "Beds of Saints"
The Pietra Parcellara and the Pietra Perduca are two reliefs present in the territory between Bobbio and Travo, which rise in an environment defined by many as "magical". The two stones are cusps of ophiolithic rock that erosive processes have made emerge from the clayey landscape of the Piacenza hills, and which hosts seven different natural habitats.
Ophiolites, in fact, are rock formations that were formed following the movement of the plates of the earth's crust, following processes of fusion and, subsequently, of solidification of the mantle.
History
The whole area of Val Trebbia was already inhabited from the most remote prehistoric times.
The territory that includes the Stones was then inhabited by Celtic-Ligurian populations around the fourth century BC, and here, according to some scholars, traces of ancient cults would remain, which would then evolve through the Roman era and then the advent of Christianity.
In the nearby Caverzago, in fact, an ancient divinity was venerated which the Romans then assimilated to the goddess Minerva Medica. Later, the region was affected by the first process of Christianization, thanks to the work of Bishop Savino.
The Parcellara Stone
The Pietra Parcellara is a mountain of 836 meters high, which is part of the territory of Bobbio, together with the locality of the same name and Brodo , in its south-west side, while the north-east one falls in the territory of Travo, together with the localities of The Bobbiano stone. From its top you can enjoy a panoramic view of the whole Trebbia Valley, the Bobbiano Valley, the Luretta Valley and Monte Penice .
In ancient times called Prescigliera , the mountain hosted in the Lombard era a monastic castrum which was part of the wide domains of the Abbey of San Colombano. Subsequently, the place grew in importance, so much so as to see the construction of the Castle of Prescigliera . Today only a few traces of this military building are visible on the summit.
Later, the stone became a property included among the possessions of the Monastery of San Paolo di Mezzano Scotti, to then be included in the fiefdom of the Malaspina family. In 1120 it was occupied by Guelph troops, during the war against the Ghibelline part of Bobbio, but it was the Malaspina who got the better of it and took possession of it. In 1155 it came into the possession of the Perduca family, feudal lords of Pietra Perduca, a fortified center with a castle.
At its feet stands the Oratory of the Madonna di Caravaggio , in Brodo, which depends on the parish church of Mezzano Scotti . It is a lovely little church, built by the joint work of the inhabitants of Brodo, Gazzoli and Pietra, and restored in 1990.
In addition, in this area there are also some sources of water considered curative, including the Acqua Marcia, which was used by the monks of Bobbio, in medieval times, for healing purposes.
The Pietra Perduca
That of Perduca is also a cliff of ophiolitic formation, whose profile is varied by a saddle, which emerges strongly from a gentle and undulating hilly landscape.
La Pietra was probably a place of worship in ancient times, and today it still preserves an ancient Oratory dedicated to Sant'Anna, and some tanks for the collection of rainwater of unknown origin, known as "Beds of the Saints", probably dating back to 'Bronze Age.
The name of these pools would be linked to the legend that wants them as the sort of beds in which the holy men of the place rested after having performed their miracles. Another of the obscure aspects that concerns them, also reported by folk tales, is that he wants the water in the tanks never to change state: it never evaporates even during the hottest summers, and never freezes even in the most rigid of winters.
One of the tanks is particularly famous for the presence of a colony of crested newts, particularly delicate and ecosystem-sensitive amphibians, which usually live in pure waters with zero acidity. In spring, the males of the species change appearance, with crests, caudal fringes and bright colors, and then proceed to the phase of fertilization and the birth of the tadpoles. The singular aspect, regarding their presence on the Perduca, is precisely that of living habitually in a water that is practically stagnant, and which therefore is not ideal for their biological characteristics.
Then there is an empty tank, only sketched out, perhaps built as a shelter for the fire. Furthermore, carved into the rock, there are also small circular niches, perhaps cupels, probably used for ceremonial purposes.
Another curiosity, then, is linked to the fountain present on the Perduca. In fact, it seems that many people go up here specifically to draw and drink the water, which some even take home.
The Oratory of Sant'Anna
The Oratory of Sant'Anna, set among the rocks, stands isolated on what was probably the site of a 12th century military outpost, replacing another church dating back to the 10th century, and subjected to various alterations in the following centuries .
The building is in exposed stone, with a gabled facade and a single rectangular portal, which is accessed via a staircase. On the portal there is a lowered sixth window, and on the left side the bell tower stands out.
The architrave on the entrance door, an ancient rectangular stone of recovery, there are inscriptions in Latin and some letters belonging to the Celtic alphabet. The latter have led to the hypothesis, in fact, that Celtic populations frequent the site, especially for ceremonial and religious purposes.
Inside, according to popular tradition, a boulder on which the footprint of the Madonna appears imprinted. Of particular interest are the frescoes dating back to the '300 and' 400, which have been effectively restored. They represent San Michele weighing souls, Sant'Antonio Abate, San Nicola di Bari, San Colombano, San Giorgio and a Madonna del Latte with Child.
A staircase carved into the rock leads to the highest part of the Stone, where another basin is visible. Furthermore, on the site there is news of the existence of a castle, which was razed to the ground in 1170.
Excursion to the Stones
Starting from Località Pietra, a hamlet of Travo, follow the CAI path n. 185, which quickly leads to a crossroads: on the left you reach the Pietra Perduca, while turning right you reach the CAI path n. 167, which leads to the Oratory of Pietra Parcellara. Immediately behind the building starts the path that leads to the top of Parcellara, where there is a small cross and statuettes of saints.
From this point it is possible to enjoy a 360 ° view from the Dorba alla Perduca stream, from the Torre di Bobbiano with the Church of San Michele to the course of the Trebbia and Bobbio. Descending along the path used to climb, and we leave the Oratory to return to the crossroads in case you want to point towards the Pietra Perduca.
Along the way you can see the built-up area of Montà and reach a new crossroads, where you turn left following the CAI signs, to immediately reach the access stairway to the Pietra Perduca.
In the wood at its base there are tables for picnics and a fountain. From there you go up to the Church of Sant'Anna, and then take the steps that open on its left side, with which you reach the top, which houses the famous basin carved into the stone and the colony of crested newts.
