Cammino del Vino e della Pietra

Gorgusello is made up of two small hamlets: Gorgusello di Sopra (Upper) and Gorgusello di Sotto (Lower). Both are compact clusters of houses arranged in parallel rows facing south. In front of the buildings are stone-paved courtyards, enclosed by arched gateways that create a sense of intimacy and harmony.
Between the two groups stands a stone fountain, partially covered, with a tap, a trough for livestock, and slanted stone basins once used for washing clothes. Gorgusello has more than one fountain: the hamlet sits above a rich aquifer that feeds several small streams flowing downhill to Molina, where they power mills and waterfalls.
Until a few decades ago, Gorgusello di Sotto was dominated by a tall dovecote tower, now collapsed. Other tower houses, once status symbols of wealthy families, are still present in the hamlet.
Just beyond Gorgusello, at the start of the old road to Breonio, there’s a remarkable fountain worth stopping for: a clever construction where the basin is supported by large slanted stones, an ingenious solution that gives the structure strength and durability over time.

The village lies in a hollow at the foot of Monte Crocetta. The old hamlets, once separate, have been joined together over time by more recent building development. In the past, the village was divided into two distinct parts: the upper and lower hamlets, each with its own fountain and, later, its own malga (mountain dairy) for processing milk.
The municipal territory once included, in addition to nearby hamlets such as Gorgusello and Molina, the entire area of Sant’Anna d’Alfaedo. It was therefore a border municipality, and Breonio housed a military barracks and several outposts of the Italian customs police (Guardia di Finanza).
Particularly noteworthy are the fountains in the lower part of the village. Just below the apse of the Church of San Marziale is the drinking water fountain: the spring lies further down and can be reached by descending a stone staircase. A container is provided here, designed to fill buckets without having to immerse them directly into the spring.
A few steps to the east, one finds a livestock watering trough and a monumental stone fountain with wide washbasins, crafted with great care. Of special interest are the small channels that carried away the soapy water from the slanted stones, helping keep the main basin clean. Adding charm to the scene are the flowers that fill every available corner with color and life.

At the heart of the lower hamlet of Breonio stands the village’s oldest church: San Marziale. Built in medieval times, it was enriched and decorated during the 16th century, thanks in part to the noble Maffei family, who held a kind of local lordship over the area.
The church’s apse is considered one of the most beautiful among the churches of the Verona region. On the lower walls are splendid frescoes of saints — including Saint Christopher, Saint Roch, and Saint Agapitus — painted by the Veronese artist Francesco Morone in 1510.
Higher up, three large frescoes depict the Last Things (Novissimi): the Crucifixion, animated by a crowd of figures; the Descent into Limbo, featuring a monstrous creature with a gaping mouth; and the Resurrection, partially damaged by the later opening of a window.
The ceiling is divided into four sections, each portraying one of the Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), shown with their respective symbols and surrounded by lively decorations of flowers and fruits. On the triumphal arch are the faces of the prophets, all painted with remarkable skill and attributed to Domenico Brusasorci, around 1560.
At the center of the apse rises a refined and majestic wooden altarpiece by Francesco Badile (ca. 1530). In its central niche stand the statues of the church’s three patron saints: Saint John the Baptist, Saint Marziale, and Saint Anthony the Abbot. Above are three scenes from the Gospels, and in the predella below, three episodes from the lives of the saints.

It is a typical hamlet of Lessinia, set in isolation at 840 meters above sea level, perched above the Adige Valley. It consists of two distinct clusters, both built in slab stone, showing a remarkable variety of uses and an ingenious ability to create spaces and functional solutions to the many challenges posed by the steep terrain.

After a decree issued in the mid-1950s, which banned underground quarrying due to the many fatalities caused by tunnel collapses, new areas were sought upstream of Prun to allow open-air excavation. For some decades there was also a strong demand, from major companies engaged in large-scale roadworks and urban development, for the gravel covering the ‘good’ stone layers (the so-called cappellaccio), thus sparing quarrymen an otherwise unsustainable expense. Several areas were identified in the municipality of Sant’Anna d’Alfaedo (Cortine near Giare and Monte Loffa) and along the border with the municipality of Fumane (Sottosengia and the western slope of the Vaio Gravazzo).
Excavation is carried out mechanically, progressing in steps to prevent collapses and facilitate the transport of the quarried slabs. Over time, the market for Lessinia (or Prun) Stone has gone through contraction phases, which means that existing quarries have not yet been exhausted. For each quarry, a restoration plan is required and overseen by the Veneto Region. In some cases, the vertical quarry walls have been sprayed with a dark liquid to reduce the visual impact of the excavation.

The church, dating back to the 15th–16th century, likely featured a gabled façade with a central rose window and a main entrance aligned with the nave. The interior had a single nave, with a secondary entrance on the side and a window on the south wall. On the north wall stood the funerary tomb of the noble Maffei family.
A triumphal arch led into the square-shaped apse, which was covered by a ribbed vault. Behind the apse, a separate room served as the sacristy.
To the north of the apse rose the solid, massive bell tower.
Inside, the liturgical arrangement included three altars: the main altar, located in the apse and dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, and two smaller side altars flanking the triumphal arch, dedicated respectively to the Crucifix and to Saint Roch.

The village has been completely transformed by modern development, which has merged the two original centers: the cluster of courtyards with the large fountain, and the area now dominated by the parish church.
Agricultural activities have moved to the outskirts, but they remain lively in the surrounding hamlets. To the south and west lie the settlements of Fosse, Vaona, and Michelazzi, while to the north — beyond the closer hamlets of Camparso, Curto, and Martelengo — one can clearly see those nestled at the foot of Corno d’Aquilio: Lavarin, Adamoli, Tommasi, and Coste.
The Cammino del Vino e della Pietra passes through these northern hamlets, offering walkers spectacular views of Lake Garda from several points along the way.