Hikes and good food among the Ligurian olive groves: a day in Boissano

A village set in the pastel green of the olive groves, where you breathe tranquillity step by step among the picturesque little streets of the hamlets, between which open up very panoramic views of the sea and the Ligurian mountains: for a day of relaxation between walks and good food we chose Boissano, situated in the immediate hinterland of Loano. According to one theory the place name Boissano means "healthy place with good pastures", an undoubtedly true description, but there are also those who hold that the name indicates a shrub once common in the Ligurian countryside. Be that as it may, the existence of this place is spoken of already in some parchments of the thirteenth century, in which the mount Ravinet, the ancient Ravinerius, on whose low slopes Boissano lies, is also mentioned.

We only need to take a couple of steps in the centre to realise how much the scent of olives envelops these places, metaphorically too. On the wall of the Town Hall you can read a quotation from Paolo Canavese: "Boissano, where the silver of the olive trees melts into the earth in mother-of-pearl reflections", and a short distance away we even discover a "monumental" olive tree, planted, as the plaque says, in memory of the generations of Boissano people who have dedicated their lives to olive growing. We decide to discover the various hamlets of the village following the directions of an itinerary drawn up by the children of the primary school. So we first of all visit the Parish Church of S. Maria Maddalena, in the main square, lined with a series of cheerful palms. On the road to Loano we admire the Chapel of N.S.

della Guardia, while between the hamlets of Pozzo and Bosseri we visit the pretty Chapel of N.S. delle Grazie. After visiting the ancient hamlets of Gandolfi and Gandarini, we move towards Toirano, discovering the Chapel of San Sebastiano, existing among the hamlets of Pogli and Mogli already at the beginning of the sixteenth century. One of the main cultural and tourist itineraries of Boissano is the one that leads to San Pietro dei Monti, at almost nine hundred metres of altitude. There stood the monastery of San Pietro, founded in the 9th century under Charlemagne. According to legend Saint Peter, on his way to Rome, stopped right there and, struck by the beauty of the place, which he considered particularly suited to contemplation, decided to erect there the first church in Liguria.

The monks of San Pietro played a very important role in the life of the region, helping to improve living conditions by introducing the cultivation of the olive and the vine, and building mills and olive presses. In 1495 the monastery was unfortunately abandoned and the weather destroyed it. In its place, in a dominant position on the hill, today stands the little Church of San Pietrino. After this long journey through the history of Boissano, we decide to crown the day with an exquisite dinner at the Ristorante Pizzeria Le Querce, on Via Rive. We settle into the spacious dining room of the restaurant, which also has a large outdoor area with a sea view, very pleasant in the warm season, when the grilled specialities can be prepared directly on the big barbecue on the terrace.

"Our cooking closely follows the seasons, and consequently our menu always changes, using the fresh produce of the moment. The pasta and bread we make ourselves at home, and we stand out for our excellent value for money," the owner and chef Fausto Policarpo tells us, who has run the place with his wife Isabella for eight and a half years. Thanks to their commitment, the restaurant is enjoying its best period in decades, with a loyal clientele. We start with a rustic starter, with farinata, vegetable pies, Ligurian-style fillings. We also taste the seafood starter with a trio of fish, prawns, anchovies or other fresh fish depending on the catch, the salt cod cake and the octopus with potatoes. We follow these delights with paccheri with broccoli, prawns and pecorino fondue, the linguine with seafood, the tagliolini with clams and courgettes.

Some of us instead have the tagliatelle with squid and artichokes and the chestnut tagliatelle, a seasonal treat. Part of our group opts for the exquisite pizzas, all topped with top-quality ingredients, while we continue with the mixed fried fish, one of the restaurant's strongest dishes. We also taste a fine mixed grilled fish, done on the embers, and the more carnivorous among us have the tagliata with rocket and gorgonzola cream. We wash these delights down with excellent wines selected from all the regions of Italy, but also with a few good beers. We end our dinner with the desserts, all home-made, enjoying semifreddi and very good puddings with fresh cream, with various sauces.

After this lovely day we are certain to return soon to Boissano, a village to which Vittorio Brumotti is also linked, for new excursions on foot or by bike, to be crowned with pantagruelian dinners like tonight's. Francesca Bertha FOR INFORMATION: Ristorante Pizzeria Le Querce Via Rive, 3 Boissano (SV) Tel.: 0182/989229