A day in the Gulf of Poets, among miracles and good food: an outing to La Spezia

A deep gulf, encircled by a chain of hills: the beauty of this natural amphitheatre has enchanted people since the dawn of time; indeed the Gulf of La Spezia was inhabited since prehistory, as numerous finds testify, including statue-stelae recovered even from the sea. If the Gulf of Poets (a term coined by the playwright Sem Benelli) had inspired prehistoric artists, its charm was no less afterwards either; indeed from George Sand to Lord Byron, from Shelley to D'Annunzio, numerous artists chose these places for stays more or less prolonged. Our journey in the footsteps of the great poets begins from the oldest heart of the city, called Poggio, which after the flourishing Roman era began to develop from the 9th century. Here stands Castello San Giorgio, an imposing fortification whose original core was built in 1262 by the will of Nicolò Fieschi.

The walls with their characteristic Ghibelline merlons date instead to about a hundred years later. Today inside the Castle are the archaeological collections of the Museo Ubaldo Formentini. Once the same corridors were trodden by the castellan, a figure whom a decree of 1609 required to always be a nobleman but who could never leave the fortress, on pain of death. But even recent times hold curiosities: in 1907 the painter Felice Del Santo, while painting inside the manor, is said to have noticed a dragon passing by, or at least an enormous lizard... We also visit some of the many splendid religious buildings of the city, including the Abbey Church of Santa Maria Assunta, already existing in the 14th century and later rebuilt within the walls from 1443.

Near the Castle and the vast pedestrian area close to the port is a place of worship whose history is steeped in mystery: the Church of Nostra Signora della Neve. In the 16th century the waters of the Lagora stream overflowed, invading also the house of a peasant, where a precious painting on wood depicting the Virgin was kept. That sacred image was saved, and the population decided to build a large chapel that could worthily house it. Demolished in 1864 to make room for the Military Arsenal, the present church was erected from 1897 by the will of the Salesians. When the bombing of 5 June 1943 destroyed the neighbourhood, the church remained unharmed: many attribute this fact to a prodigious intervention of the Virgin Mary. We stay a few steps from the sacred building for dinner too, at the Osteria della Corte, on Via Napoli.

"The place takes its name from a large 18th-century inner courtyard, where in summer you can eat outdoors and where children can have fun in the play area," Mrs Silvia Cardelli tells us, the chef who has run the restaurant for nine years together with her husband Andrea Ferrero. Completing the staff are Simone and Stefania in the kitchen together with the intern Federico, and the waiter Emanuele. "I grew up in a village near La Spezia, Ceparana, and my passion for cooking was passed on to me by my grandmother, with whom we picked herbs, kneaded and rolled out the sheets of pasta," Mrs Silvia tells us, who also runs a fresh pasta shop in Ceparana. "Food and passion" is the restaurant's motto, and we find it spot on: the love of cooking here is felt in every detail, starting with the pretty plates and glasses.

We begin with the pumpkin velouté with squid in an almond crust, the raw red prawns on a lime emulsion, and the "Signor Panino" with mini foie gras escalope and Armagnac reduction. We also taste a stunning selection of caviars with warm blinis — amur, kaluga and asetra — and a spectacular sea bass smoked hot on the spot with rosemary wood. Among the first courses, prepared with homemade pasta, we taste the gnocchetti with sea bream and porcini mushrooms, a true triumph of aromas and flavours. We also taste the tortelli alla Norma and the tasty risotto with pears and Morbier. We continue with the larded sea bass stuffed with potatoes and rosemary, and with the fabulous Alaskan king crab in the Catalan style. Our friends who prefer dishes of the land, on the other hand, choose the lamb sirloin sautéed with Sherry and the cheese tasting with mostarde, honey and a small glass of Sciacchetrà.

Our dinner ends with the tasty desserts, chosen from the menu drawn by the owners' children. We choose the rich dessert tasting for two, as well as the Bronte pistachio semifreddo with lavender sauce, the fresh fruit gazpacho and the iced cream with Sichuan pepper with coconut bon-bons and liquid liquorice: a real spectacle, both to look at and to taste. After this lovely day we feel like the artists who fell in love with La Spezia: we have managed to rediscover the poetic side of life.

Francesca Bertha

PER INFORMAZIONI:

Osteria della Corte Via Napoli, 86 La Spezia Tel.: 0187/715210