フラコナルトの洞窟・トップ4

Whether you choose to climb from the parking lot below the castle (moderate difficulty, about 40 minutes on a well-marked path, steps, and a walkway) or follow the "Castellani's Path" from Vobbia (about two hours, including stops), the arrival near the castle is breathtaking! Spectacular, simply! This view is worth the effort (by car) to reach the tiny village of Vobbia, which, however, is located in an area rich in natural beauty! For information, visit this wonderful website: https://www.parcoantola.it/pagina.php?id=47

departure from Dario's bar (unfortunately we didn't meet him but the guy there was simply very kind) and collection of credentials

Castle with a turret and it is the element that immediately stands out. Perfectly renovated together with the surrounding mansions, it is a distinctive feature. American families who choose Borlasca for its tranquility and seek privacy often spend the summer there. But the trait d'union is evident, because it is a piece, the most recent, of a well-known story. On the website of the Isola del Cantone Cultural Center it is said that Giorgio Ruggerone wrote a book about Borlasca, published posthumously. The chapter on emigrants is of particular interest for obtaining some information on the castle with the turret: it is owned by the family of Angelo Sangiacomo, son of Domenico, a successful Californian entrepreneur.

https://www.ilsecoloxix.it/liguria/2023/07/16/news/borlasca_un_borgo_nei_boschi_amato_dagli_americani-12944015/

Symbol of Arquata, it is located on a hill overlooking the valley, it is approximately 22 meters high and built in Montaldero stone. It was part of the Castle, of which a few ruins of the mighty walls that sloped down from the hill and surrounded the old village and part of the walls of the keep that surrounded it are still visible. The Castle of Arquata had considerable strategic importance, so much so that it was disputed between many cities, but above all by Genoa and Tortona. But when Tortona managed to definitively take over the village of Arquata, purchasing it in 1244, a condition of stability was reached. The castle was rebuilt with the elevation of a tower and a new village at the base of the hill, close to the ancient Via Postumia, all surrounded by defense walls. As time passes, the strategic importance of the castle with its tower diminishes, and as it is a predominantly military structure, it is gradually abandoned. As the centuries passed, the old, increasingly dilapidated tower was struck by lightning which made its static nature even worse. In fact, on the morning of October 29, 1933, lightning struck part of the eastern corner, throwing large stones a great distance away.

The castle built on a 13th century fortification - is accessed via a steep climb starting from the small square where the ancient municipal building with loggia stood. Enfeoffed to the Doria family between the 14th and 16th centuries, the castle saw the succession of many families: Da Passano, Pallavicino, Serra, Spinola and Orsini Pio di Savoia. The guise in which it appears today dates back to the 18th century, when it was adapted by the Serra family into an elegant country residence. The castle, owned by the Doria family of Montaldeo since the beginning of the 19th century, has a complex structure in which the original structures survive, vestiges of previous use: the apparatus protruding on double brackets, the battlements and the configuration of the keep. One of the towers, which became an artist's studio in the last century and overlooks the surrounding landscape with large windows, offers a priceless view that sweeps over the Alpine chain, from Monviso to Monte Rosa, and over the Apennines, up to the Piacenza mountains

Nice observation point over the castle and one of the towers where you could once climb. Great for a souvenir photo. you must not suffer from vertigo, exposed sides and a small climb to the top must be done with care and suitable shoes.

Absolutely worth visiting, perhaps taking the longer, but simpler, Via dei Castellani from Vobbia. The castle, unique in its kind, is very well renovated and the guides explain the history beautifully.