Zovencedo
Zovencedo is a small hillside municipality in the Colli Berici, in the Vicenza area, known above all as the heart of Pietra di Vic...
Updated 12 July 2026
The story
The story of Zovencedo
A Village in the Colli Berici Hills
Zovencedo lies at the heart of the Colli Berici, a hill system south of Vicenza known for its varied landscape of woods, vineyards and limestone outcrops. It is a small municipality by population, with a largely rural and artisanal character, where stone quarrying coexists with agriculture and a still-niche hiking tourism. Its position, between Grancona and Nanto, places it in one of the two zones of the Berici where most active quarries are concentrated.
Pietra di Vicenza and the Historic Quarries
Pietra di Vicenza is a white or slightly straw-coloured limestone with characteristic ochre spotting, intensively quarried for around two thousand years. While Grancona and Nanto yield the yellow variant, Zovencedo's territory holds the white stone, extracted for over a century from the Cengio quarry and still worked today at active sites such as Cava Travegno and Cava Badia. It is a material that has clad historic buildings across the Veneto and remains in use in construction and sculpture.
The Covoli: Roman Quarries and Shelters Through Time
The covoli are stone quarries dating back to Roman times, among the oldest in the Berici, later abandoned and reused over subsequent centuries. Subject to karst phenomena, Zovencedo's territory features numerous caves, some of which show evidence of ancient human occupation. Initially used as hermitages or places of worship, they later became dwellings, in use until just a few decades ago: an archaeological and anthropological heritage still little promoted but of great interest.
A Karst Landscape to Explore
Beyond the quarries, Zovencedo's territory offers a karst landscape rich in natural caves, dolines and rock outcrops, set within the mixed woodland typical of the Colli Berici. It is an environment suited to geological and nature excursions, where the limestone rock, alongside human quarrying activity, tells the geological story of an area once submerged by the sea.
The Alta Via dei Colli Berici Trail
Zovencedo is crossed by a stretch of the Alta Via dei Colli Berici, a hiking route linking the area's main villages along ridges and scenic paths. The trail offers views over the quarries, woods and vineyards of the Berici from above, providing privileged vantage points over a compact yet surprisingly varied hill landscape.
Slow, Niche Tourism
Zovencedo is not designed for mass tourism: there are no large hotels or postcard attractions. It is rather a destination for those interested in geology, hiking and the traditional crafts tied to stoneworking, with workshops and quarries that, on request, open their doors to curious visitors.
Experiences not to miss
- Visit historic white-stone quarries such as Cava Cengio
- Explore the covoli, ancient Roman-era quarry-shelters
- Walk a stretch of the Alta Via dei Colli Berici
- Discover the area's karst caves
- Watch stonecutters at work in local workshops
Routes · Trovido Route
