On Horseback Admiring the Sea from the Hills of Finale Ligure: A Day in Calizzano

Once upon a time, a princess set out from Parma for Finale Ligure, where she was to marry a king. Along the way, through deep woods and breathtaking views over the Ligurian hills, at a certain point she and her court stopped in Calizzano, staying at Palazzo Franchelli, before setting off again towards the Colle del Melogno, an important pass lying 1028 metres above sea level. There are towns whose beauty is heightened by the landscape around them, and the pleasure of visiting them begins along the road you travel to reach them: Calizzano is one of these.

Elisabetta Farnese of Parma, the future bride of King Philip V of Spain, having made her journey in 1714, could not see how the Finale Ligure motorway, seen from that height, looks like nothing more than a toothpick against the immensity of the mountain covered in thick woods that stand out against the blue backdrop of the sea; but she probably also stood open-mouthed at the sight of the little pink triangle of the town of Finale squeezed between sea and mountain. Likewise, the princess also missed the mysterious charm of the Forte Centrale del Melogno, a fortified defensive barrier built between 1883 and 1895, crossed by the single-lane road. The old town, on the other hand, has several features that Elisabetta will have seen too, starting with Palazzo Franchelli, today the town hall.

In medieval times the village was surrounded by walls and reached through three gates, known as San Rocco, del Mulino and della Barbacana. The watchtower of the latter was later turned into the free-standing brick bell tower of the parish church of San Lorenzo, built between 1587 and 1630 in Romanesque style on the remains of the old marquises' church. Inside we can admire several fine canvases by seventeenth-century Ligurian painters and a wooden statue of St John the Baptist attributed to Anton Maria Maragliano or his school. From the village a sign invites us to climb to the thirteenth-century castle, which did not exactly come out of the storms of history unscathed.

Those ruins on a hill reachable with a short walk tell of fierce battles between the Del Carretto family, lords of Calizzano from 1142, and Genoa, of the historic betrayal of Marco Del Carretto, but also of the Napoleonic battles. Despite all this, today that place is pervaded by an absolute sense of peace and offers an unmissable view over the old town. Peace and relaxation, but also outdoor activities, open-air sports and good food: these are the reasons that draw many tourists and travellers, even from abroad, to Calizzano, people who like us come to spend a day or a weekend at the Agriturismo Ca' Di Voi.

Set in the hamlet of Caragna, among the forests of Calizzano, the farmhouse is a true oasis where you can enjoy nature in all its aspects, immersing yourself in the area's trails not only on foot or by mountain bike, but also on horseback, thanks to the property's lovely riding stables. “Our family bought this farmhouse twelve years ago and little by little we renovated it. We started straight away with the restaurant, which is still our flagship, but as we have three rooms available for guests, there is also the option of staying the night with us. The stables, on the other hand, which today hold almost thirty horses, came a little later, and turned out to be a success,” chef Daniel Ferraro tells us, the son of the owners Marco Ferraro and Silvana Pesce, who are also helped by Daniel's sister, Adele, and a close-knit staff.

“My father Marco looks after the outdoors, the countryside and the farm, while my mother runs the stables and makes the bread,” Daniel explains as we take a tour among the vegetable gardens, the fruit trees, the barns and the paddocks of the horses galloping happily to the delight of young and old. For those who already know how to ride, it is possible to go for rides along the trails nearby, but lessons are also organised for children, who can learn to ride with the help of riding instructors. Besides a large herd of beautiful horses, there are many other animals on the farm: the gentlest ponies, but also some amusing little goats, not to mention the very talkative geese, ducks and hens.

After a day spent trekking and out walking along the trails, which we were able to study well thanks to the maps they gave us at the farmhouse, the evening awaits us with a fantastic dinner based on the zero-mile produce of the farm. “As well as vegetables, potatoes, extra virgin olive oil and Slow Food-brand dried chestnuts, we also grow blueberries, which become exquisite jams, syrups and grappas that we partly use in the kitchen and partly sell to guests,” Daniel explains as we settle into the large, bright dining room with its elegant rustic style. The kitchen is based exclusively on local produce, largely “zero metre”, coming from the surrounding vegetable garden and orchard, or from local farms that supply fine meats, artisan cured meats, ricotta and cheeses, right through to Enkir flour, an ancient grain that the farmhouse uses to make bread baked in a wood-fired oven.

In season, many come here to eat the mushrooms that the woods offer in abundance and that Signora Silvana skilfully prepares. While on Sundays and public holidays there is a set menu, on other days you can choose between the tasting menu and the à la carte. We begin with a generous tasting of four starters, including beef tartare, a salad of rooster, celery, potatoes and walnuts, and a delicious puff pastry with Albenga artichokes. We continue with Enkir tagliolini with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh anchovies, potato gnocchi on a cream of aged Brignè cheese, and field-herb ravioli with butter and marjoram. Among the main courses we choose the Ligurian-style stuffed cima with steamed vegetables, the typical brandacujun and sliced beef with potatoes and toasted pine nuts.

Finally, we can only give in to the sweet temptations of the homemade desserts, including the fresh-fruit terrine, the Sacher torte with whipped cream and the vanilla and chocolate meringue. Before heading back home in the princess's footsteps, we stock up on blueberry jams and promise ourselves we will return here soon for new rides, walks and succulent dinners. From now on Calizzano will have for us the same strategic importance it had throughout history, and it will always be a pleasure to see the sea from its hills and plunge into its forests.

Francesca Bertha

PER INFORMAZIONI:

Agriturismo Ca' Di Voi Fraz. Caragna, 15, Calizzano (SV) Tel.: 019/79217