モンジャルディーノリグレの洞窟・トップ6

The castle of Borgo Adorno was a fiefdom of the Genoese Spinola family until 1518, the year in which Tolomeo Spinola remained without legitimate children and appointed the children of his friend Agostino Adorno as his heirs.

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

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/

An interesting route in the upper Curone Valley is the one that leads to the walled remains of the Brusamonica Castle, a small town about two kilometers from Caldirola. The castle, built on the crest of the mountains above Caldirola, dates back to the feudal era; although it has lost its ancient splendor over time, it still retains a certain charm, if only for its uncertain and mysterious origin. A legend tells that before the castle there was a convent in the same place, probably founded by the monastery of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro of Pavia and destroyed during a night of battle and looting (perhaps by Saracen troops) in the 9th century. This, like any good legend, is not confirmed by historical documents, even if even today the inhabitants of Caldirola, referring to the town of Brusamonica, are accustomed to using the term "convent". Contradictions aside, this castle, with a slope that extended up to Val Borbera and now collapsed, represents an important and concrete historical monument that can today become a destination for pleasant walks.

With the eMTB, it is difficult to reach the site of the remains of the Castle. The path is narrow, steep and in some places there are rocks that block pedaling. Better to go up from Mount Gropà with the eMTB.

The Torre Ratti castle is located in the hamlet of Torre Ratti in the municipality of Borghetto di Borbera, in the lower part of the Borbera valley, in the province of Alessandria. The lower Borbera valley was part of the Duchy of Milan for centuries and was enfeoffed by the Rati-Opizzoni family from Tortona.

In the late Middle Ages, the village was a fiefdom of the Genoese Spinola family until 1518, who built the castle in 1100. In 1518 Tolomeo Spinola was left without heirs and passed as an inheritance to his friend Agostino Adorno, of the Genoese Adorno family. In the 17th century the castle suffered serious damage following a landslide and shortly afterwards the current Botta Adorno castle and stately palace was built in its elegant style, still privately owned. The castle has an elegant Baroque style portal and a chapel dedicated to Saint Caterina Fieschi Adorno, great-granddaughter of Pope Innocent IV and wife of Giuliano Adorno, who lived between the 15th and 16th centuries.