Gulf of the Island
Spotorno, in the center of the Gulf of the Island, overlooks a Blue Flag sea and offers a succession of events for a year of opportunities. The beach, the gardens, the squares, the historic center of the Monte and the Bishop’s Castle; but also a range of prestigious hotels and highly appealing beach resorts, in addition to a wide commercial panorama full of opportunities. And a long tradition of international tourist hospitality.
Spotorno certainly owes its fame as a seaside resort located in the inlet between Bergeggi and Noli, to the splendid sandy beach, a natural shoreline extending for more than two kilometers, which over time has attracted not only tourists but also famous people: Camillo Sbarbaro and D.H. Lawrence stayed here, for the beauty of the place, for the richness of the natural environment. It was precisely in these places that Sbarbaro collected lichens for his famous studies on the subject. But the area was already inhabited in Roman times, and then developed in the following centuries into a seaside village of some importance, so much so as to motivate the construction of the valuable castle in the 11th century, a structure yet to be rediscovered, and the watchtowers of Correallo and Sant’Antonio. Perched on a hilltop, the castle that still overlooks Spotorno today protected the village from invasions and wars and welcomed its inhabitants inside in case of danger. It was attacked and partially demolished during the war in the first twenty years of the 13th century between the empire and the Republic of Genoa by the people of Nole who, allied with Genoa, invaded and sacked the village.
The further historical-artistic testimonies of the village are interesting: The 17th century parish church houses works by Giovanni Andrea De Ferrari, Domenico Piola and a crucifix from the school of Maragliano; Also worth visiting are the oratories of the Annunziata (for the seventeenth-century works and the interesting “ex voto” of the sailors) and of Santa Caterina. The oratory of the Annunziata is located near Piazza Aonzo and is simple and linear but capable of preserving valuable masterpieces, evidence of the Ligurian pictorial culture of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The ex voto placed along the side walls of the oratory bear witness to the maritime life of the village, with the history of exploits, miracles and rescues at sea during storms or sinkings, with paintings and models of boats that tell us about ancient routes, sea voyages and ancient trade. And right from Piazza Aonzo, you can set off on a short itinerary that connects the Marina with the medieval area, the splendid and somewhat mysterious village of Monte that rises towards the hill. Through via De Maestri or via Antico Ospedale you enter the midst of the most typical Ligurian architecture between alleys, crose and arches, a less touristy Spotorno but perhaps for this reason even more fascinating, a corner of Liguria where time seems to have stopped. As soon as you leave the town towards the west or east, you find yourself in the most fragrant Mediterranean scrub, among lavender, thyme and wild rosemary, and splendid myrtle plants. The liqueur that some Spotornese still make with the precious berries, has nothing to envy to the Sardinian one, on the contrary. Discovering its flavor is a bit like discovering the hidden charm of this land.