Towers, sailing ships and good food: an out-of-the-ordinary day in Savona

A trip to Savona can only begin, at least ideally, on the route of the great navigators who centuries ago had set off from this port towards exotic destinations. If we had lived a few hundred years ago, for our journey we might have used the nautical charts that Leon Pancaldo, the famous Savona navigator, drew during the first circumnavigation of the world, carried out by Ferdinand Magellan from 1519. Today, even if you arrive in Savona by car, you immediately meet the famous sailor who accompanied Magellan on the difficult undertaking, and whose logbook, called the 'Roteiro', remains an extremely precious historical document. In fact, one of the city's landmark monuments is dedicated to him: the Torre Leon Pancaldo, formerly called Torre della Quarda, first mentioned in 1392.

Guarding the port there is also the sculpture of the Sailor by Renata Cuneo, while on the other side of the Darsena we discover even a very sweet sleeping Mermaid, resting on a bed of fishing nets, a bronze work by the sculptor Giampaolo Parini. Not far from the port we visit the imposing Fortezza del Priamar, full of mysterious charm. Situated on the natural hill of the same name facing the sea, it was built in 1542 by the Republic of Genoa to defend the city from the frequent pirate attacks of the time. To build the fort, the Genoese 'evicted' several religious buildings then existing on the Priamar promontory, even the oldest confraternity of Savona, existing since 1260, which consequently moved to the place where it is today, at the Oratory of Nostra Signora di Castello in Piazza Sisto IV, near the Town Hall.

Returning to the Torre Pancaldo, we make our way into the old town along the very central via Paleocapa, all lined with porticoes. We thus reach perhaps the most characteristic area of the city, which develops around via Pia, the most important and oldest artery of the medieval old town. Flanked by ancient noble palaces, some of them adorned with marble portals, the street has a timeless charm where colourful workshops, lively little shops and buildings of great historical importance coexist harmoniously, recalling the atmospheres of times gone by. On the left of via Pia we admire the church of Sant'Andrea in piazza Chiabrera, and a little further on, the Palazzo Pozzobonello which houses the civic art gallery, inside which an important collection of Savona ceramics from the 16th and 17th centuries is also kept.

Wandering through the characteristic streets, we discover an infinity of curious things, including the fact that soap takes its name precisely from the place name Savona. According to legend, it was the wife of a Savona fisherman who fortuitously discovered soap, boiling olive oil and soda lye together. At the end of via Pia opens the typical piazza della Maddalena and piazza della Rovere, the first with the Palazzo Multedo, and the second with the imposing Palazzo della Rovere, built in the Renaissance by the pontiff Julius II, a native of Savona. We thus reach the Brandale tower, originally from the 12th century, in whose bell chamber is the 'campanassa', heir to the old medieval bell, marking time. Its sound bounces between the nearby and still medieval Riario and Corsi towers.

Climbing up from here through short alleys, we arrive at the wonderful Cathedral of Maria Assunta and the adjacent Sistine Chapel. The Savona Sistine Chapel, which today often hosts cultural meetings, was built in 1481, the year in which the works of the famous chapel located in the Vatican, magnificently frescoed by Michelangelo, were completed. Both chapels were created at the wish of Pope Sixtus IV, from whom they take their name. Born in 1414 in Pecorile, a nearby hamlet of Celle Ligure, Francesco della Rovere, who became Sixtus IV in 1471, was the first Savona pope in history, later followed by his nephew Pope Julius II. We stay in the historic via Pia for dinner too, and attracted by its name and the menu written on a blackboard in front of the entrance, we choose the Bistrot Fuori dalle Righe.

Welcoming us with great kindness in the bright rooms, in which the elegance of the historic building with its vaults is combined with the modern, informal and sunny touch of the furnishings, is the owner Rosanna Oliva, tireless chef and creator of this 'out-of-the-ordinary' restaurant. Opened last November, the place has a very clear philosophy that is appreciated by customers. 'In the new bistros there are no "priests", but cooks who carry on a polite dialogue with tradition, putting the ingredients first, always excellent and carefully chosen. We have a short menu of 6-7 dishes that change very often and of which some are always vegan or vegetarian. I follow seasonality closely both in the choice of vegetables and in that of fish, elaborating dishes of the traditional regional cuisine with a touch of imagination that makes them current.

There is an ever-growing demand for vegetarian and vegan dishes, but here you can also find classic meat or fish specialities,' Mrs Rosanna explains to us. Quality without frills, natural, healthy and tasty dishes, affordable prices, excellent wines from small producers, vaguely bohemian atmospheres: a spot-on mix of ideas and passion that make you forget the stiff world of certain old-style restaurants and that make you feel good. Our dinner begins with a soup of black beans with aubergines and wholemeal pasta, which we follow with spaghetti with fresh garden courgettes and Pachino tomatoes. Among the main courses we enjoy the oven-baked vegetables with grilled tomino, while our 'carnivore' friends choose the curry chicken with a rice timbale. We cannot resist either the Ligurian-style stuffed vegetables, while our vegan friends happily eat the seitan with a chard salad.

Finally, we gladly give in to the sweet temptations of the homemade desserts, also original and imaginative, as well as good and healthy: the candied aubergine cake, the apple and basil cake, a light tiramisù with Chinotto and the vegan biscuits and brioches. There is still a lot left to discover in this beautiful city, such as the Sanctuary of Nostra Signora della Misericordia, patroness of Savona, erected in 1536 following a Marian apparition, and after this lovely day we are certain we will gladly follow Leon Pancaldo's directions again to return to Savona soon.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Bistrot Fuori Dalle Righe Via Pia, 118R Savona Tel.: 347/455 3233 Facebook: Fuoridallerighe