A fine island among the Ligurian mountains: a weekend in Ronco Scrivia

A mountain standing a full 920 metres high, with a pretty sanctuary on top and a comfortable, well-equipped refuge. Seen from the valley, the dark blue of those heights blends with the azure of the sky reflecting the colour of the sea some thirty kilometres away, and the church up there looks tiny and very distant. Yet to get up there you just have to tackle a pleasantly demanding hike, suitable for adults and children alike, and once at the top the breathtaking view immediately repays the effort. During the first day of our weekend in Ronco Scrivia we climbed right up there, onto Monte Reale, and admired the widest view of the Scrivia Valley: you can see the mountains of the Antola Park, the Castello della Pietra, the Genoese mountains, the sea, but also Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa, as far as the Dolomites of the Adamello and Brenta.

Along the way we met numerous other hikers, some of whom told us that on clear days from Monte Reale you can even make out Corsica with the naked eye. The Sanctuary of the Madonna di Loreto, which stands at the top, was built between 1858 and 1868, and although from below it seemed small to us, in reality it is a church of notable size. Between the 11th and 13th centuries there was also an important castle up here, of which only a few ruins now remain. Once back down, after a short rest in our comfortable air-conditioned rooms at the Bed and Breakfast attached to the Trattoria Isolabuona, in the hamlet of the same name along the statale road leading to Genoa, we take a stroll among the characteristic little streets of this municipality with a history spanning more than a millennium behind it. The place was born in Roman times, at the centre of a plain on the ancient Via Postumia.

We are, in fact, just a few kilometres from the famous Roman town of Libarna, today a hamlet of Serravalle Scrivia. During our wander through the streets of Ronco we discover a beautiful monumental three-arch bridge, built in the 15th century, which crosses the Scrivia surrounded by thick vegetation. In the centre we visit the Parish Church of San Martino, built in 1641 on the site where an ancient church, the old parish church, once stood. Inside it preserves precious works of art, including a painting by Orazio De Ferrari. After also visiting the Oratory of San Giacomo, we move to the Borgo Fornari hamlet, where we admire the Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta, a pleban church dating back to the 12th century and rebuilt in the 17th century. But Borgo Fornari also offers us a genuine excursion into the Middle Ages, thanks to a visit to the Castle.

The ancient manor, erected in the 12th century, is about a ten-minute walk from the main road, along the alley called Rian-na, all uphill. Its evocative semicircular tower in exposed brick can be seen from afar, and the part of the building once intended for the garrison is also fairly well preserved. The "Castle in the Scrivia Valley", as it is called by antonomasia, is also the venue for numerous events during the year, including colourful historical re-enactments. We are pleasantly tired and hungry when we return to our accommodation, crowning this lovely day with an exquisite dinner at the Trattoria Isolabuona.

"We have run this place for about ten years, and it all grew out of the passion for good cooking that I share with my daughter Elisa, a hotel-school graduate, and also with Nonna Rina, who still helps us preparing exquisite savoury pies, meatloaves and farinata, as well as other old specialities," the owner, Mr Massimo, tells us as we settle at the table. In a corner of the room we notice a large barbecue that immediately makes us want grilled meat. We start with mixed local cured meats, and since we came at the weekend we can also enjoy seafood starters, in full Ligurian style. We continue with trenette with pesto, green beans and potatoes, ravioli with meat sauce and pansotti with walnut sauce. Some of us enjoy a nice Genoese-style minestrone.

In choosing the main courses we range from braised beef, stockfish, stuffed anchovies and stewed tripe, as well as excellent game, prepared with local mushrooms. We wash these good things down with wines from Lower Piedmont and Liguria, and end the day with exquisite traditional Ligurian desserts, including tarts with homemade jam. The weekend of hikes, art and good food that we spent in Ronco Scrivia was relaxing and very pleasant, and we won't be long in coming back, perhaps when we're in the area for a day of shopping at the Serravalle Scrivia Outlet.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Trattoria Isolabuona Via Isolabuona, 32 Ronco Scrivia (GE) Tel.: 340/3500139