マイッサーナのおすすめツーリングルート

beautiful, quiet pass with picnic area

Arriving from Segno on the bridge that crosses the Vara river, an enchanting view opens up over the village of San Pietro Vara. In front, stands the Church of San Pietro, the oldest in the valley, which houses works of art from the sixteenth century. Next to it, the Oratory of Nostra Signora della Spianata. The view from the bridge also includes the surrounding valley floor, with its cultivated fields and the green hills that frame the village.

Colli Valletti is a charming hamlet of the municipality of Maissana, located in the province of La Spezia, Liguria. Positioned at about 776 meters above sea level, the town is located on the watershed between the municipalities of Maissana and Varese Ligure, offering wide panoramas of remarkable beauty on the valley below. During the Second World War, Colli Valletti was the scene of tragic events linked to the Resistance. On December 3, 1944, near the town, the partisan Angelo Bardelli, a young fighter belonging to the Casoni Brigade, was killed by the Nazi-Fascists. In his memory, a plaque was placed that commemorates his sacrifice, a symbol of the fight for freedom that also involved these small villages in the Ligurian hinterland.

Santa Maria di Maissana is a small village nestled in the upper Val di Vara, along the right bank of the Vara river, at about 613 meters above sea level. With its ninety inhabitants, it is immersed in a landscape of rare beauty, made of silent mountains and green valleys, which give a sense of quiet and authenticity. The village develops around a characteristic caruggio, the typical Ligurian alley, which crosses the entire town. Ancient stone houses overlook it: many are now abandoned, others have been renovated, although not always with attention to the original architectural characteristics. The heart of the village is the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, built in the 13th century and remodeled several times over the centuries. Inside you can admire frescoes from 1952, the work of the painter Cesare Donati, and a valuable pipe organ with mechanical transmission, restored in 1995. A peculiarity that immediately strikes the visitor is the presence of a very large colony of cats: there are everywhere, on the walls, in the alleys, under the benches. They seem to be the true masters of the village, moving with ease between the houses and gardens, adding a touch of life and charm to the town. Not far from Santa Maria is also the archaeological site of Valle Lagorara, an area of great historical and naturalistic interest, located at about 750 meters above sea level, along the stream of the same name.

Inside a public park with facilities for children, tables and barbecues

possible excursions both on foot and by bike

The historic center of Varese Ligure is truly surprising in its urban structure, to the point of deserving the nickname Borgo Rotondo. The medieval building plan, which is due to the Fieschi, had a defensive purpose. In the center is the castle, with its high and sturdy walls. Around it, the houses are arranged in rows following the round curvature of the square, with porticos on the ground floor that allowed access to the shops and warehouses (some of which have now been transformed into public places). Also very interesting are the recently restored eighteenth-nineteenth century buildings with polychrome facades, which recall the pictorial decorations of the past. Furthermore, Varese Ligure is at the center of the Val di Vara biodistrict.

Very small village with typical stone houses and narrow alleys.