The Stage is a ring that starts in the centre of Villareggia, at Piazza Vallero (270m) where it is possible to park the car conveniently and stock up on water at the fountain present. Head north-south along a first paved section that connects the centre of Villareggia and the hiking route entering from via Maestra via Rondissone. Heading south, move along a section of provincial road with little traffic until, after 650 m, you enter the track of the listed route (TOP112) at a fork in the road.Here, on the left, take Strada dell’Amorosa, always paved but totally peaceful, by no means busy, and continue southwards for another 800 m. Turn left and abandon the paved road to enter a wide dirt road that runs between croplands. At this point, proceed east along the wide and comfortable cart track which after 1 km touches the village of San Pietro (250m asl), administrative island of Cigliano set between Moncrivello and Villareggia. Shortly after the farmhouses of San Pietro the itinerary bends northwards heading straight towards the Shrine of Madonna del Trompone which is reached, beyond an abandoned farmhouse, after another 900 m from the houses of San Pietro (260 m asl). The facility now largely re-converted into an elegant nursing home maintains strong religious connections: the Trompone complex has developed over the centuries around the homonymous Shrine built in the place where it is said that in 1562, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared on a “trumpa” or “trompone” (tree trunk) to Domenica Milianotto, a hunchbacked, stammering and epileptic woman, curing her of her infirmities. 

Having left the imposing Shrine behind us continue on a short section of paved road until you cross SP 595 at the recently built roundabout to continue along a road on false flat ground that leads to the village of Cascina Sivalli or Scivalli (279 m asl) of Moncrivello. The Trail goes around the group of houses from the right and continues slightly uphill always on a wide dirt track as it gets progressively closer to a densely wooded hill, to reach a crossroads where you turn left. From here, the track gets slightly narrower and the direction becomes east-west: the itinerary positions itself along the foot of the nearby wooded hill and continues without any big changes in gradient in the direction of Villareggia skirting an earthen irrigation canal for a stretch of some hundred metres. North, passed the village of Villareggia, you reach a farmhouse with annexed agricultural shed called “Cascinetta”. The Trail bends slightly to the right covering a very short stretch of paved road before turning 90° to the right taking a road slightly uphill which heads for the hill. Pass a few vineyards and leave a repeater on the right after which the road becomes steeper and enters the wooded area; after a beautiful panoramic view of the village of Villareggia below and on the plain behind, at 332 m asl you reach the small Church of San Martino of Ulliacco, a building dating from the 12^th century characterised by a single nave with semi-circular apse facing east and a lovely Romanesque bell tower. From the open space around the church, you can enjoy a vast and wonderful view over Villareggia. Passed the apse of the church, take the least obvious track on the right and continue descending along a narrow trail that becomes slowly steeper and after 190m enters a mule track which climbs back to the top of the hill and leads to the road that connects Moncrivello and the Shrine of Miralta coinciding with the Alta Via Morenica (AV) Itinerary in its main track. Entering a wide cart track you are at a height of 330 m asl: from here, you can turn left to continue on the main track to close the itinerary; turning right, you reach the characteristic village of Moncrivello, which can be reached following this road for just over 1 km. In Moncrivello, it is possible to stop to stock up on food and water or to enjoy the beauties of the village with greater calmness, foreseeing an overnight stay.  From Moncrivello, going backwards and slightly uphill along the cart track to Miralta, coinciding with the main track of the AV, takes us shortly after 1km to the track of the current Stage of the Itinerary. From the entry onto the connecting track with Miralta, the SPB Itinerary coincides for a stretch of several km with the AV itinerary (in its main track). Climbing up to 343 m asl, after enjoying several beautiful panoramic points, you reach the magnificent Shrine dedicated to Madonna di Miralta with its Romanesque belltower that terminates with a triple lancet window followed by a mullion window and a single lancet window. The church has Romanesque origins (11^th century) and was renovated in the 1930s. From here, the two coinciding Itineraries wind their way through a dense chestnut-dominated coppice along which a rather winding route and many ups and downs, but slowly degrading, descend to come out close to several isolated houses (254 m asl): the Cascine Maietto and Benne. The road surface in this section improves and the loose stones give way to an easy dirt road that continues slightly downhill among the croplands, while the castle of Vische appears in the distance with the mountains of Val Chiuselle in the background. For a short section, the road is paved and shortly after 2 km from the Shrine of Miralta you reach the Naviglio Canal of Ivrea (230m asl). The Naviglio begun by Amedeo VIII and terminated by the Duchess Jolanda of Savoy in 1468 was built with the intent of providing a navigable waterway between Ivrea and Vercelli and to irrigate a large agricultural area of Vercelli. It was soon abandoned as a navigable waterway because subject to frequent silting up due to significant solid transport that was characteristic of the River Dora Baltea from which its waters derive. You cross it over a small bridge and continue on turning left, facing a group of houses, the Cascine Navicelle; from here, the Itinerary of the SPB and AV run parallel to the Naviglio Canal of Ivrea and in some sections the canal bank is unprotected (therefore it is necessary to be careful). A little further on, you meet several groups of farmhouses on the right including “Cascine di Francia” or “Italia” and after 2 km from crossing the Naviglio, you reach the famous “Casotto della Maddalena”, which some historical documents connect with Leonardo da Vinci. It is a desanding artefact used by the Naviglio Canal that appears to have been designed for the first time precisely by Da Vinci. From here, continuing on for another 850 m, the route transits over the left shoulder of the crossing over the Dora Baltea, so called Mazzè Dam, a very interesting work, built in the early 20^th century with a double function of hydroelectric production and above all pumping water for irrigation purposes up to the above plain of Villareggia. 150m after passing the crossing over the Dora and the forced conduit that serves the underlying pumping station, the two itineraries SPB and AV separate (225 m asl): the AV descends towards the bridge over the Dora and heads towards Mazzè guaranteeing, among other, the natural connection between the present “Stage 3” of the SPB itinerary and the other “Stage 2” and “1” of the Sentierio delle Pietre Bianche (SPB); vice versa, the route of our “Stage 3” continues, keeping at a high altitude and always parallel to the Naviglio Canal of Ivrea until you come out on the  SP 595 that connects Mazzè to Villareggia. Here it is necessary to cross the SP and in correspondence of the so-called “Ponte d’Ugliacco” over the Naviglio Canal of Ivrea turn right returning to a dirt track along the Naviglio Canal. After approx. 880 m, the SPB Itinerary turns left crossing the Naviglio at the Bridge of the Pigna (232 m asl) and climbs back up the hill along a secondary paved road.  In should be noted that at this node it is possible to make a short detour continuing straight on a slight downhill section to reach, the famous and highly interesting Elevator of Villareggia after approx. 1.5 km: the ingenious 1800 work can still lift today, without the use of any electricity, the water of the Naviglio Canal of Ivrea in order to allow the difference in height to be bridged in order to reach the irrigation network above the Cigliano Canal that originates on the top of the terrace on which today rises the hamlet of Gerbido di Villareggia. Returning to the Bridge of Pigna the itinerary climbs along the paved road until it meets the SP88 of Gerbido (257 m asl) from where turning left you reach the village of Villareggia to end the Itinerary. Overall, not counting the detours, just over 15 km have been covered 

At the municipality of Villareggia the ATAP suburban line no. 345 is in operation; at the Municipality of Moncrivello the ATAP suburban line no. 348 is in operation.

Itinerary code: SPB
Recommended period: All year with the exclusion of the hottest months of July and August
Historical interest: Yes
Devotional interest: Yes
Access by public transport: Yes
Provinces crossed: Biella Valsesia Vercelli, Torino