Franciacorta Nero Route: test and guide to the Extra Brut Tour
Routes in Franciacorta
The card
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Recommended parking: Cellatica, Via dei Prati at the intersection with Via XXV Aprile and Via Donatori di Sangue near Fantasina Park.
- From Bergamo, Milan (A4, Ospitaletto exit): continue on the SP19 towards Concesio/Valle Trompia → exit at Gussago/Cellatica → follow the signs for the centre of Cellatica and then for Via dei Prati.
- Brescia: take Via Valle Camonica towards Gussago or use the Montelungo ring road → follow signs for Cellatica centre → at the main roundabout follow the signs for the sports area/Via dei Prati.
- From Franciacorta / Iseo: follow the SP510 towards Brescia → exit at Rodengo Saiano/Gussago → go through the centre of Gussago towards Cellatica → turn onto Via dei Prati.
The experience
Franciacortino has completed the fifth test of cycling routes in Franciacorta, riding the Nero, Extra Brut route. This is a circular route connecting the municipalities of Cellatica, Gussago, and Rodengo Saiano.
With the Franciacorta Consortium's guidelines in hand, I set out on the fifth test. To get to the starting point, I followed the leg of my tour that runs from Castegnato through Gussago and reaches Cellatica. The town of Fantasina marks the end of my leg, but also the start and finish of the Black Route, which unfolds as a circular route.
A small technical warning: I attempted a first approach on a racing bike, but I quickly realized that to enjoy this route you need fat tires: MTB or Gravel are a must.
The final tests were conducted on mountain bikes, and once again, I noticed a discrepancy between the official route and the actual road system. Near the parish church of Gussago, some road changes made by the municipality have made the original route unpassable.
The solution I adopted is simple and effective: in my 'Rev. Franciacortino' version on Komoot, the route diverts onto Via Monsignor Giorgio Bazzani, allowing you to avoid the one-way system on Via Giancarlo Peracchia and continue without a hitch.
Just like with the Green Route, I chose not to offer road bike variants. Doing so would have meant distorting the itinerary: the soul of the Black Route is tied to dirt roads, and I believe it's right to experience it for what it is, on a mountain bike or gravel bike.
The tour
We're in Cellatica, in the Fantasina area, a residential area just outside the town center, nestled between the slopes of Monte della Stella and the surrounding countryside. After parking near Via dei Prati, we begin pedaling along Via Fantasina toward the town.
Our trail runs parallel to the main road, which is usually very busy, but allows us to safely continue along the road that connects to the adjacent town. If we look up at the mountain to our right, we can glimpse one of the most iconic and beloved sites in Franciacorta: the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Stella, which we'll soon discuss in the section 'Franciacortino passes through here!'.
After about 1.6 kilometers, at the first traffic light, we turn left onto a road that runs alongside the industrial area. This leads us onto the Strada vicinale del torrente, a cycle path (part of the Bergamo-Brescia Culture Cycle Route) that takes us directly into the heart of Gussago.
The route continues through the village of Gussago via Nikolajevka, via Donatori di Sangue, and via Bosco, before approaching the ancient village of Sale via Via Casotto. Here, time truly seems to slow down: the road narrows between stone houses and vaulted doorways that reveal glimpses of hidden internal courtyards. This stretch of road evokes the atmosphere of a late medieval village, just before the sight of one of the symbols of Franciacorta: the Santissima.
At the end of Via Sale, the route turns right twice onto Via Monticello and Via Vaila, suddenly offering us the unique profile of the Santissima overlooking the Barbisone hill. From here, we take the first left onto Via Staffoli, a secondary road in the heart of the countryside that leads us to Rodengo Saiano, among vineyards and expanses of lawn cultivated for gardens and sports facilities. Shortly after, the asphalt gives way to a pleasant and never-too-rough dirt road. The route continues straight until revealing the back of the Benedictine Abbey of San Nicola, one of the most impressive and historically rich monastic complexes in all of Northern Italy.
When the dirt road ends, the route forces us to turn right onto a comfortable paved cycle path. At this point the Black Route intersects with the route of the Blue Route, sharing a stretch that takes us back to the heart of Rodengo Saiano, on Via Brescia. We're roughly halfway through today's route: the perfect time for a power check. If your water bottles are starting to run low, you can take advantage of the water station located just after the roundabout, on the opposite side of the road, inside the sports field parking lot.
To continue, we stay straight, skirting the Abbey of San Nicola complex. After passing three roundabouts, we follow the signs back towards Gussago. Once we pass through the hamlet of Padergnone, the view becomes panoramic again, and the profile of the Santissima and the Santuario della Stella reappear on the horizon like familiar landmarks.
The entrance to the hamlet of Ronco di Gussago welcomes us with a truly unique combination of sport and art. In quick succession, we encounter two installations that deserve a careful look:
- “The Tour”: right in the center of the roundabout, six stylised metal silhouettes represent cyclists in the midst of a sprint. The work, commissioned by G.S. Ronco, is a tribute to the deep cycling tradition of this fraction.
- “Gaia and the Whale”: a few meters away, the imposing sculpture of the master Stefano Bombardieri It projects us into the world of contemporary art, beautifully concluding this stretch where history, nature, and creativity blend with every pedal stroke.
After re-entering the Gussago area, we pass the cemetery and turn right onto the Dordaro road. Here, a very unique section awaits us, consisting of a succession of gentle ups and downs on dirt roads, completely immersed in greenery and surrounded by neat rows of vines right at the foot of Colle Barbisone.
The trail leads us to the center of town, skirting the Nobile Paolo Richiedei hospital complex and continuing to the parish church. It's precisely at this point that the deviation from the official route I described in the introduction becomes necessary: the change in traffic is exactly what you can see in the video included in this article.
Once past the center, we turn right onto Via Quattro Novembre. We're now nearing the end of the loop: this road rejoins Via San Rocchino, bringing us back to the road we took at the beginning of the itinerary. A few pedal strokes and we're back in Fantasina, where our "Extra Brut" loop officially ends.
Founder of Franciacortino
I explore Franciacorta by bike, pedaling slowly through stories, roads, and details.
