Water, salt and the great Ligurian seafaring tradition: a day in Loano

It was April 1825. The people passing along the seafront of Loano noticed a tartana, that is a vessel with lateen sails, heading eastwards. At that time many boats like that passed along the Ligurian coast, but this one had something special: it belonged to Domenico Garibaldi, the father of Giuseppe Garibaldi. On board were both him and his son, already registered in the Roll of cabin boys of Genoa, happy to have finally obtained his father's blessing to embark on a seafaring career. That time they had set off from Nice on board the tartana Santa Reparata, bound for Rome with a cargo of wine for the pilgrims who had come for the Jubilee. Off Loano the hearts of the Garibaldis beat faster: Rosa Raimondi, the mother of Giuseppe and his five brothers, came from that splendid coastal town.

One of the first stops of our Loano day is in fact at the birthplace of Rosa Raimondi, where a plaque commemorates the famous mother. At the Sea Museum, in Palazzo Kursaal on the seafront, you can instead immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the area's seafaring past, in which Garibaldi grew up. The oldest witness to Loano's sea life is the little Church of Loreto, dating back to 775, built for the faithful who lived on the coast. Moving towards the centre we reach the elegant Piazza Italia, made enchanting by the imposing dodecagonal Cathedral dedicated to San Giovanni Battista, next to which stands the Oratory of the Cappe Turchine, built in 1661.

The Confraternity of the Cappe Turchine performs the ritual of the Festa del Mare every year, carrying on their shoulders close to the shore the sculptural group representing the Madonna della Visitazione, to which several bows are made before the sea. The charm of the 17th century envelops us inside the Cathedral too, which holds numerous precious canvases from that era. Wandering through the historic centre we also visit the 16th-century religious complex of Sant'Agostino, which houses a rich library. Continuing towards the Castle, built in the 13th century by Oberto Doria, we discover another district of great historical interest. At the foot of the manor winds the Borgo Castello, with its intact medieval layout.

A short distance away we reach the Ponte Castello, erected in the 18th century on original Roman-era foundations, and the monumental complex of the Convento Monte Carmelo founded in 1602. The church's octagonal-based dome can be seen from very far away, while beside the silent cloister are the friars' vegetable gardens, where medicinal plants are grown. Returning to the brightly coloured caruggi of the historic centre, we admire the Porta del Passorino, whose clock is one of Loano's symbols. We stay near this historic Gate for dinner too, choosing Ristorante Pizzeria Acquasale, in Corso Roma. We settle into the spacious veranda, but the place also has a large, elegant air-conditioned room and an outdoor terrace. The owners, Mr Luciano Gaudino and his wife Amal, welcome us very warmly and make us feel at ease straight away.

“We opened about a year and a half ago; before, there was a bar-pub here. For us it's very important to pamper our customers, and we focus on the freshness of the products; in fact we never use anything pre-cooked, all the dishes are prepared to order,” the owners explain to us. We begin with the rich Acquasale starter, which includes smoked salmon, marlin and swordfish, stuffed anchovies, prawns in cocktail sauce, marinated anchovies and mussels. We also have a seafood salad and some king prawns with gorgonzola. Some of our group can't resist the excellent pizzas cooked in the wood-fired oven, including the pizza with gorgonzola and pears, and the legendary cheese focaccia Recco-style. We also try the spectacular "tagliere", the pizza of various flavours served on a half-metre wooden board.

Among the first courses we choose the paccheri di Gragnano with pistachio pesto and sun-dried tomatoes, the linguine with lobster and the typical trofie with pesto, green beans and potatoes. We wash down these delights with very select wines, including the red Fichimori from Salento, which should be drunk chilled, and the Umbrian white Conte della Vipera IGT. We continue with swordfish with prosecco and capers and also enjoy a fine mixed grilled fish. But at the Acquasale it's also possible to take an exotic journey at the table, thanks to the "Flavours of the World" menu. This time we decide to set off for Morocco, choosing couscous and seffà, a small pasta dish with chicken and almonds, with a sweet and savoury flavour. Finally we delight in the fantastic desserts of the house: strawberry tiramisù, pear and chocolate tart and the apple puff pastry.

Loano is also called the Isola del Ponente, for its particularly mild climate: we'll take advantage of it to come back, perhaps even out of season.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Ristorante Acquasale Corso Roma, 2 Loano (SV) Tel.: 019/672458 Facebook: acquasale ristorantino