Calice al Cornoviglio

Introduction

Description

Following the road up to Calice and glimpsing the castle, at first in the distance and then ever closer, one is caught up in a strange atmosphere of austerity - perhaps even a little unsettling - conveyed precisely by the figure of the imposing Daria Malaspina castle dating back to 1200. The medieval village around it is in a very scenic location. A historical reconstruction tells us that at the time of the pilgrimages, this area was home to a secondary transit route connecting with a main route. Therefore, putting ourselves for a moment in the shoes of a pilgrim whose sacred goal was Santiago de Compostela, having reached that junction -as we have already said crucially- of Caprigliola, we should have taken the itinerary that passes right near two hamlets of Calice: Madrignano and Novegina (right here there is a small church dedicated to St James and the well-preserved remains of a 'hospice' with characteristic cells). From here, continuing to Brugnato, Borghetto and heading towards the Bracco Pass, we would reach Santiago. We have already mentioned the hamlet of Madrignano (without mentioning, however, that here we can see the remains - alas, somewhat badly reduced - of another castle, destroyed by the Genoese in the early 1400s). However, in addition to Molunghi and Santa Maria, other hamlets of Calice are also worth a visit: Filettino, a well-preserved medieval village; Usurana and Ferdana, whose houses have a splendid architectural structure formed by cryptoporticus; and Villagrossa, where a splendid portal from 1635, carved in stone, can also be found in a small church. To get to know the naturalistic aspect of the Valley, its flora and fauna, one can take advantage of a multimedia library, a scientific laboratory equipped with an electron microscope and a curious itinerary observing the 150 taxidermic exhibits in the CEA (Centre for Environmental Education), which, like the two picture galleries (dedicated to David Beghè and Pietro Rosa) and the Beekeeping Museum (unique in Liguria) are housed in the Doria Malaspina Castle. An additional opportunity to visit Calice is the original 'Museum of the Galaxy' in the hamlet of Valdonica: a fantasy world where flowers, iron, stone, wood and tiny vegetable gardens are transformed by the artist Bonini. an authentic creator of marvels. However, the Calice area boasts human presence long before medieval times: the ancient Ligurians, in fact, left as evidence the remains of a lithic box tomb found in the Genicciola area. These archaeological finds are today preserved in the Civic Museum in the San Giorgio castle in La Spezia. It is interesting to note the toponym eia from which the name Genicciola derives: "-ola" meaning 'divinity', and "genia" (hence "genesis"): in fact, in the eyes of our ancient Ligurians, this place had a morphological shape that led them to the idea of fertility. Going down the road to continue the visit of the valley, one is accompanied by a pleasant panoramic view.

Information

Area: 33.75sq km
Altitude: 402m
Maximum elevation: Monte Cornoviglio (1162m)
Number of inhabitants: 1144
Name in dialect: Calice
Inhabitant name:calicei
Patron Saint: Our Lady of Loreto (10 December)
Website: www.comune.calicealcornoviglio.sp.en
Webcam:
Bordering municipalities: Beverino, Follo, Mulazzo, Podenzana, Rocchetta di Vara, Tresana
 Villages and hamlets: Borseda, Bruscarolo, Castello di Calice (municipal seat), Ferdana-Novegina, Madrignano, Pegui, Santa Maria, Tranci, Usurana, Valdonica, Villagrossa
 Alpeggiations: