Abbey of Borzone and San Martino

Within the Aveto Park lies Val di Penna, a charming little valley where human settlement has been skillfully carried out through the synergy between the local inhabitants and the Benedictine monks of the Borzone Abbey. In addition to the church and monastery - built, it seems, at the behest of the Lombard king Liutprando between 712 and 714 - the area is characterized by the so-called "beudi": a complex system of water channelling devised by the monks which, through the use of canals and sluices, ensured irrigation to the crops of local farmers.
So they were monks, hydraulic engineers, and seemingly… sculptors too! Yes, because according to a 2015 study, the paternity of the "Megalithic Face," an anthropomorphic sculpture carved on a rock wall resembling the face of Jesus, would belong to the monks of Borzone.
Last but certainly not least, the excursion ends with a visit to the ruins of San Martino di Licciorno, which is what remains of the first parish of Sopralacroce, a suggestive church in the forest.