Touristic Information

Touristic information Liguria: nearby and interesting for the sea and the beaches but also for its hinterland. Each town has its own "budello", narrow alley called “carrugio” in local dialect, in the historic center of the village, usually forbidden to cars, where shops, restaurants and bars are concentrated. Following some information about the most interesting tows in the area: SPOTORNO Spotorno is a seaside resort situated along the coast between Bergeggi and Noli, not very far from Savona. The sandy beach, which stretches for over two kilometres, and the three-hundred metre stretch of coastal rocks have long been an attraction for tourists: Camillo Sbarbaro and D. H. Lawrence stayed here. The area was already settled in Roman times, as can be seen from the bridges in Chiappate. The seaside town achieved a certain importance at the end of the fourteenth century, when it became the headquarters of the podesta of Genoa and developed marine industry and commerce. The castle and the Correallo and Sant'Antonio watchtowers date from that period. In 1227, when the town was still in the hands of the bishops of Savona, it was completely destroyed by neighbouring Noli. The hills are known for their vineyards (producing Buzzetto white and Vermentino wines) and for their fruit trees, especially apricots. A liqueur called "Nocino" and the local cherry liqueur are true delights. There is a lot of room for sports: sailing, diving, traditional fishing and underwater fishing; the high spots are a favourite haunt of hang-gliding enthusiasts. The sports centre, football pitches and tennis courts complete the excellent local sports facilities. The parish church dates from the seventeenth century and preserves works by Giovanni Andrea De Ferrari, Domenico Piola and a crucifix from the Maragliano school; worth visiting are the oratories of the Annunziata (for the seventeenth-century paintings and interesting votary objects left by sailors) and of Santa Caterina. Some of the old residences in the town and in the upper areas are worth seeing if only from the outside: Villa Albini, Villa Berlingeri, Villa Zanardi, Palazzo Berninzoni and Villa Bernarda, where Lawrence stayed; alternatively, you can follow the old Roman road or take the so-called "Dante promenade". Longer excursions can be made to the Mortou grotto, the Trevico Pass and Manie. BERGEGGI The isle of Bergeggi, a nature reserve, looks onto the coastal area between Vado and Spotorno, which is lined with cliffs and partly submerged grottoes, one of which was inhabited during Neolithic times. The Ligurian Sabazi built a castle on Monte Sant'Elena in order to watch over the area and the Via Julia was subsequently built nearby. Saint Eugene, the bishop of Carthage, landed on the island during his flight from the Vandals: according to legend, after defeating an "evil snake", he lived there till about 500 AD. His remains were kept on the island for more than eight hundred years and were then transferred to Noli. The ruins of a circular tower from the Imperial era were probably once a lighthouse. A square watchtower was built in its place during mediaeval times, corresponding to the Ere tower on the mainland. An abbey was founded on the island by Benedictine monks from Lerins in France, although only a few ruins remain. The town developed during the late Middle Ages between the castle and the sea. Genoa acquired it in 1385, constructed the Rovere Tower and gave the town its present form, with its fortress-houses (one can be seen in the district of Canata) lodged between the terracings supported by the dry-walls that are the pride of the old folk. The fortification around Capo Vado has always been a problem: the fortresses of Santo Stefano and San Lorenzo were completed in 1620 and almost immediately demolished. They were replaced by the fortifications of San Giacomo and San Sebastiano in the eighteenth century, and later by the fort of Sant'Elena (1915), which was destroyed in 1920 by the tragic explosion of the powder magazine. The territory is characteristically formed by steep slopes and Mediterranean maquis and also comprises Natte Forest (the region's largest cork plantation), although there is a marked absence of rivers. Recent construction work has given a more compact structure to a town that was once broken up into scattered dwellings. Gastaldi is a typical late mediaeval town centre with a steep street and an ancient public wash-house. Broxea and Negli have remained unchanged, while Santo Stefano and Scurzabò have been marked by fires and by the explosion of the powder magazine. Diving and beach volleyball are popular here, and you can also practise hang-gliding from Monte Mao and Monte Sant'Elena. BORGIO VEREZZI Borgio (Burgus Albingaunum) and Verezzi (Veretium) form a municipality that rises from the coast to an altitude of about 300 metres on the hills between Capo di Caprazoppa and Pietra Ligure. Verezzi is situated at a distance of two kilometres from Borgio along a panoramic road. The old town area has remained intact and comprises the four districts of Poggio, Piazza, Roccaro and Crosa. In Romanesque-Gothic style, construction of the church began in the eighth century. The bell tower dates from 1076, while the internal paintings and frescoes date from the fifteenth and sixteenth century. Since 1960, the church has been named the sanctuary of the Madonna del Buon Consiglio.The territory marked the eastern extremity of the Arduino borderlands and was later conceded to the bishop of Albenga, who in turn conceded it to the Republic of Genoa at the behest of Pope Urban VI. The Consuls' palace was the seat of the representatives of the podesta of Pietra. The watchtower and castle in Borgio date from the sixteenth century and were built to counter the Saracen threat. The parish church of San Martino was built in 1625. The cathedral of San Pietro Apostolo in Borgio was built between 1789 and 1808 on the remains of an ancient fortification, whose outer walls have been preserved. The Phoenician mill is a unique specimen in Italy of oriental building technique. Another sign of Arabic influence are the local carub trees, which were mentioned by the poet Camillo Sbarbaro. The underwater environment is interesting for divers because there is a shallow near the coast, which means that there is an abundance of marine flora and fauna. Since 1967, the theatre festival has been one of Liguria's most prestigious cultural events. Performances take place in the small town square of Sant'Agostino in Verezzi. The local snail speciality is prepared with thyme, rosemary, parsley, garlic and oil and is accompanied by Nostralino wine. VARIGOTTI Varigotti is a small hamlet about 5 kilometres from the town of Finale Ligure or, for those arriving via the motorway A10, 7 kilometres from the Spotorno exit.Varigotti is a small fishing village overlooking the beach. In summer, it is a popular tourist destination among Ligurians, Italians and foreigners. Varigotti became a holiday destination as early as the 1950s and ‘60s (the famous Italian writer Cesare Pavese used to come here) and it still has all the charm of an old seaside village. Visitors are immediately captivated by the atmosphere of the Saracen houses - so-named due to their shape and colours which evoke traditional Mediterranean scenes - and can lose themselves in the narrow streets opening onto the beach or relax in the small squares adorned with palm trees. Varigotti's main attraction is the sea. Varigotti is the perfect destination for those seeking a unique setting for their summer beach holiday or, alternatively, a peaceful, relaxing break during the winter season. Varigotti's climate is always pleasant, being sheltered from the north by the imposing hills that slope down to the rocks of Malpasso. TOIRANO The history of Toirano began at least twelve thousand years ago. There are more than fifty grottoes in this karst area in the Varatella Valley, some of which show the traces of human settlement in the upper Palaeolithic era. The tourist path through the grottoes winds for about 1300 metres from the Basura grotto, where the most important finds have been made, to the lower Santa Lucia grotto, passing through caverns, tunnels and underground chambers of incomparable beauty and great natural and historical interest. The upper Santa Lucia grotto is the site of a fifteenth-century sanctuary that was partly carved into the rock: the water trickling from one of the crevices is said to be capable of working miracles. In the sixth century, the town underwent Byzantine fortification: two of the five original gates have survived, as well as the tower-houses, the moat and the crenellated tower that became the bell tower of the parish church of San Martino. Legend says that Charlemagne ordered the construction of the Benedictine abbey on Monte San Pietro. The town later passed into the hands of the Bishop of Albenga, who handed it over to the Genoese in 1385. In 1425, the Benedictines were replaced by Carthusian friars; they abandoned the abbey of San Pietro and built the Charterhouse, which was suppressed by Napoleon in 1797. The triple-arched mediaeval bridge over the Varatella has remained almost intact. Worth visiting is the Ethnographical Museum which is housed in the old stables of Palazzo Del Carretto. The speciality called "focaccia di San Pietro" is a kind of Genoese pandolce cake. The soft nougat made in Toirano is very well known, as is the local "orange wine", which is left to ferment with orange peel. The olive mill festival takes place at the beginning of August: if you visit the town at that time, you can taste olive oil, wine, "farinata" and other local products.

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