Villetta a schiera

The cluster is in the northern Apennines, in the Modenese mountain belt near the border with Tuscany. The Panaro valley and the wooded ridges around Montese shape the immediate area, with chestnut woods, pasture and small farm clearings typical of this part of the Apennine. Montese has a substantial hill-town centre with everyday services, and the larger centres most used for shopping and administration are Vignola and Modena on the plain. The line of the Gothic Line crossed these mountains, and the area is known for wartime history as well as for porcini, chestnuts and mountain farming. The Corno alle Scale area and ski lifts are the nearest established winter-sports zone, roughly an hour by road depending on the exact hamlet.