Pietra di Bismantova

The Pietra is a block of marine sandstone about a kilometre long and three hundred metres wide, standing with vertical walls up to a hundred and twenty metres high and a flat grassy top at just over a thousand metres. Dante names it in the fourth canto of Purgatorio, comparing the steepness of the climb he faces to Bismantova, which means he had seen it. A path winds up the eastern side to the plateau, where there is grass, a small chapel and views over the Apennines. The walls are a long-established climbing area with hundreds of routes, and a hermitage sits at the base.

What you actually see

• The vertical walls - sandstone faces up to 120 metres high.
• The flat summit - a grassy plateau at just over a thousand metres.
• The Dante reference - the rock named in Purgatorio as an image of steepness.
• The climbing routes - hundreds of established lines on the faces.

When to go

April to October; the summit path is exposed and can be icy in winter. Summer weekends bring crowds to the small parking area. Autumn gives the clearest views.

Honest expectations

The walk up is steep with loose sections and takes about forty minutes. Parking below is limited on weekends. The top is exposed with no shade or shelter.

Nearby

Reggio Emilia lies north; the Apennine ridge runs south.