The stay at the Casa San Francesco in Varigotti allows you to go on excursions to discover not only the magnificent territory in which it is located (Noli, Albenga, the Finalese area…) but also Liguria, as Genoa and Portofino, the French Riviera, the Imperia area.
For more information write or call La Nostra Liguria:
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http://digilander.libero.it/guideliguria
E-mail – guideliguria@libero.it
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Tourist guides authorized by the province of Savona lead guided tours to discover the treasures of this magnificent part of Liguria.
The historical-artistic guided tours touch on the main architectural emergencies, with reference to culture, anecdotes and local traditions; the itinerary will allow you to discover little-known corners or enjoy civil and religious buildings usually closed to the public.
Guided excursion that starts from the splendid historic center of Noli and reaches Varigotti and the church of S. Lorenzo (visit of the interior). The trekking will allow you to discover the magnificent hinterland, with breathtaking views from the top of the cliffs of Capo Noli.
Along the route, a detour allows you to reach the Captain’s Hermitage and the suggestive Grotta dei Falsari.
The toponym of Varigotti, which has always been considered difficult to interpret, can be placed in the pre-Latin Ligurian linguistic area, identifying a name composed of a widespread root uara, indicating a “wet place” or more simply “deep water”, e cottis, in its original meaning of “rock”: an interpretation that adapts very well to the orographic characteristics of the site.
Varigotti is made up of small medieval nuclei perched among olive trees, and a “Saracen” village, with colorful houses with terraced roofs, directly overlooking the beach. On the promontory of Punta Crena, a natural oasis, the imposing lookout tower and the traces of the Byzantine castrum tell us of a past greatness. The view embraces, on clear days, Corsica and the Tuscan islands.
A path that climbs between the “bands”, the tangles of the Mediterranean scrub and the scent of the pines, reaches the ancient and silent church of S. Lorenzo.
In the church of San Lorenzo Vecchio only the north side retains a stretch of medieval masonry visible, while the south side (late 16th century) and the apse area (early 16th century) are the result of late and post-medieval reconstructions. Some important changes took place at the end of the 1600s, while another considerable building phase was carried out in the mid-19th century. Among the reused bricks, the presence of numerous bricks dating back to the early 15th century emerges: they seem to indicate the presence of a significant building phase of the church, of which, however, no other material evidence remains at the moment. Alongside the results obtained, the archaeological evidence has produced some unsolved questions: why such an impressive construction phase in a recognized era of decline for S. Lorenzo, which also lost its parish function at the end of the 16th century? And why were formal elements of a still fully medieval taste adopted on the southern front (end of the 16th century), such as the single-lancet windows and narrow arched portals? Only an adequate historical investigation will be able to identify the reasons, most likely of a symbolic nature, which are at the basis of this choice of archaic elements in imitation of the Romanesque, but made with already Renaissance materials and construction techniques.
Cervo, like an oyster on the rock, is a labyrinth of terraces, arches, stairways, medieval houses and baroque palaces, clinging to the rock facing the sea; a variety of inimitable views delight painters and photographers. The guided tour will allow you to discover the magnificent Parish Church of Cervo, one of the major baroque monuments of western Liguria, known as the Church of the “corals”; this was the nickname of the sailors from Cervia who for centuries went as far as Sardinia, Tunisia and the Balearics to fish for coral.
The tourist guide will allow you to discover picturesque and evocative corners of Cervo, and valuable buildings, such as Palazzo Morchio. Its construction dates back to the 17th century, presenting itself as a classic Genoese style palace, enriched by the precious slate portal.
The guided tour of Cervo will also include the Ethnographic Museum of Western Liguria. The museum rooms, dedicated to the ethnography of Cervo and the Riviera di Ponente, are located in the local Clavesana castle. The museum exhibition presents daily scenes of 19th century life relating to crafts, agriculture, seafaring and the home, with particular tools animated by mannequins dressed in period costumes.
In the medieval “alleys” suggestive glimpses open up such as Piazza S. Matteo with the houses of the D’Oria branch (which Dante encounters in Hell), the magnificent Cathedral of S. Lorenzo, the many trompe l’oeil facades that create of the Maritime Republic a painted city (Genua picta).
Some clues will guide us on the trail of Marco Polo (prisoner of the Genoese, Il Milione wrote here), of Christopher Columbus (the flower beds representing the three caravels are splendid), of Paganini (the famous violin is visible), of Mazzini…
The modern age is represented by the “Via Aurea” one of the most beautiful roads in Europe. Visit to a residence of the ancient Genoese nobility: Palazzo Rosso, with a climb to the roof viewpoint (magnificent view of the city and the port). Alternatively, Palazzo Reale, with the famous mirror gallery, or the National Gallery of Palazzo Spinola.
Portofino is unanimously considered one of the most characteristic and picturesque seaside villages in the world. The guided tour of Portofino will allow you to discover the traditions and beauties of the village, the church of S. Giorgio, the Parish of S. Martino, Castel Brown home to temporary exhibitions and its fantastic park, the paths that go up the hills of the village, reach the panoramic tip of the lighthouse, or suggestive coves. Arriving in Portofino by boat offers a unique emotion.
Boat excursion with visits to small villages overlooking the sea and the splendid bay of Portofino.
“Ed ecco, all’improvviso, scoprirsi un’insenatura nascosta, di ulivi e castagni. Un piccolo villaggio, Portofino, si allarga come un arco di luna attorno a questo calmo bacino” (Guy de Maupassant). Remembered by Pliny the Elder as “Portus Delphini”, due to the large number of dolphins that populated the waters surrounding the gulf, Portofino was a safe landing place for ships for centuries.
Set in the Portofino Promontory there is the evocative Bay of S. Fruttuoso: on the seabed the Christ of the Abyss opens wide, a bronze statue created by melting medals and naval elements.
Sanremo is not only the city of the Festival, the Casino and the “Classicissima”. It is first and foremost an ancient medieval village – La Pigna – which lived for centuries linked to the sea. “Sanremo is present in many of the invisible cities” said Italo Calvino, who spent his childhood there. Dolceacqua: a splendid village in the Ligurian hinterland. Other possible excursions to the Hanbury botanical gardens, Taggia, Triora, and the Principality of Seborga.
One of the most characteristic images of the Ligurian hinterland is the panoramic view of Dolceacqua with the Ponte Vecchio, a single arch of 33 meters of light, defined by the impressionist painter Claude Monet as a “jewel of lightness”. A fiefdom of the Counts of Ventimiglia, Dolceacqua was purchased in the 13th century by Oberto Doria. The steep streets flanked by tall houses cross little bridges under which the Nervia gurgles, and pass under long vaults, the typical “chibi” (from ciibu, dark) where the sun’s rays struggle to heat the ancient walls. The tour guide will lead us to taste the michetta, a typical dessert that recalls the end of the jus primae noctis demanded by the Imperial tyrant Doria towards young brides, canceled in 1364 by a popular uprising.
The guided tour will finally reach the Dolceacqua Castle. Built in the 13th century with a defensive tower, it was then enlarged in the 14th century, closed between mighty walls. During the Renaissance it became a fortified noble residence, with new frescoed and furnished rooms. On 27 July 1744 during an episode of the War of the Austrian Succession it was partially destroyed by French and Spanish troops. It suffered further damage in the 1887 earthquake.
Excursion to the Principality of Monaco, with a visit to the old city, the Saint-Martin gardens, the Cathedral with the tombs of the ancestors of the Grimaldi family; the changing of the guard ceremony at 11.55am is evocative. Visits to the Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium, or the reception rooms of the Grimaldi Palace (from May to October) are interesting.
Along the route of the Formula 1 Grand Prix from Monaco you will reach Montecarlo, with the famous Casino, the elegant Cafè de Paris, the worldly atmosphere of the elegant shops with big names in high fashion and jewellery. Through a coastal route with unparalleled panoramic views, you can reach Eze; at the foot of this medieval village, a true “eagle’s nest”, there is the famous Fragonard Perfumery, where it is possible to take part in free guided tours.
