| Monte Peso Grande | |
|---|---|
| Castell'Ermo | |
 Monte Peso Grande as seen from Prati di Bacelega | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,092 m (3,583 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 345 m (1,132 ft)[2] |
| Coordinates | 44°05′53″N8°03′09″E / 44.0980101°N 8.0524127°E /44.0980101; 8.0524127 |
| Naming | |
| English translation | Heavy weight mountain |
| Geography | |
  Monte Peso Grande Location in the Alps | |
| Location | Liguria, Italy |
| Parent range | Ligurian Alps |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | ancestral |
| Easiest route | footpaths fromArnasco or Borgo di Curenna (Vendone) |
Monte Peso Grande oCastell'Ermo (1.092 m[3]) is a mountain of theLigurian Prealps, the eastern section of theLigurian Alps.
The mountain stands on thewater divide betweenArroscia (South) andPennavaira valleys. Westwards a saddle namedColla d'Onzo divides it from the minor elevations ofPrati di Bacelega andMonte Cucco, while eastwards the ridge goes on with the E summit of Castellermo (1.062 m), goes down to the Colla di Curenna (900 m about), rises up to the Monte Nero (981 m)[3] and ends in the lowland ofAlbenga.[1] The North face of Castellermo features rock spires and sandstone cliffs. Its southern slopes also show rocky areas, but they are not so steep and are covered in thick bushes and woodland, mainly of broad-leaf trees. On the South face of the mountain also stands, in a panoramic position and at an elevation of about 1000 metres, the tiny Catholic sanctuary ofSan Calocero, built during theMiddle Ages.[4] Theprominence of the mountain is 345 metres.[2] A sub-summit East of the top of the mountain bears a cross[5] which can be seen from the lowland. Administratively the Peso Grande belongs to thecomune ofVendone; the chief town of the municipality stands in the Arroscia valley but its territory overflows the water divide and also encompasses a portion of the Pennavaira valley.[6]
According to theSOIUSA (International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain can be classified in the following way:[7]
Atectonic unit, mainly made ofsandstone anddolomite, takes its name from monte Castell'Ermo. Chronologically this unit is attributed to the upperTriassic andJurassic, while inpalaeogeography it's considered as the innermost part of theBriançonnais zone, an area of thePenninic nappes of theAlps.[8] Close to the mountain have been found characteristicradiolarites dating back to theJurassic.[9]In 1904 the geologistGaetano Rovereto, in his workGeomorfologia delle Valli Liguri, mentioned the Castellermo for itscraggy peaks, with horrid and distinctive shapes (cime dirupate, orride e con forme caratteristiche).[10]
The Castell'Ermo, due to its prominent location and its strong visual impact, duringprehistory was considered a kind ofsacred mountain. In particular on the slopes nowadays included in the municipality of Vendone, in a place referred as "Tre Pe", there was adolmen presumably built by theLigures,[11] which unfortunately was destroyed by some youngsters of the village in the earlypost war years.[12]The sacredness of the place was also recognized during theMiddle Ages, when was built the Sanctuary ofSan Calocero, which nowadays remains the destination of apilgrimage, taking place every five years and involving many worshipers coming from the nearby villages.[13] The same nameCastellermo, a short form ofCastello dell'Eremo (in EnglishCastle of thehermitage), is connected to an ancient tradition stating that saintCalocerus lived there as anhermit.[14]During the years of theResistance the area was used as a refuge by thepartigiani. In theCasone dei Crovi, an old building close tho the summit of mount Peso Grande, at the end of 1943 some partisans led by commanderFelice Cascione composed the famous songFischia il vento,[15] which was executed in public for the first time in the nearby village of Curenna.
The Castellermo can be reached from San Calocero sanctuary, which can be accessed either from the East with a footpath which runs starts fromArnasco and runs close to the Arroscia/Pennavaira ridge,[5] or from West, also following the water divide. San Calocero can also be accessed by some villages in the comune ofVendone like Borgo di Curenna. These itineraries aren't difficult and doesn't require alpinistic skills. The round-shaped Eastern sub-summit of the Castellermo can be accessed offtrack starting from the saddle on the Arroscia/Pennavaira ridge which divides it from the main summit.[16] The hike can be nice even in winter, due to the mild climate of the area, but is not advisable during the summer, when the heat can be excessive.[17]
Although the rock is not considered of a good quality, on the North face of the mountain have been described several climbing routes.[3] The climbers' frequentation was forbidden in the late 20th century due to the annoyance that it caused to the nesting birds of the area.[5]Some of these routes have been experimentally re-opened because the experts assessed they had a minor impact on the wildife.[18]
The mountain and its surrounding area are included in the SCI(Site of Community Importance) namedCastell'Ermo – Peso Grande (code: IT1324818).[19]
