AMEGLIA, RIVER & SEA

Set in the easternmost part of the Riviera Ligure, Ameglia was a medieval castrum (i.e., fortified settlement) which towered over the plain. Nowadays, it belongs to the Natural Regional Park of Montemarcello-Magra, a wonderland of green and blue…

Italy, Liguria, Ameglia

In the 20th century these places attracted the affection of characters such as Vittorio Sereni, Cesare Pavese, Elio Vittorini, Eugenio Montale, Marguerite Duras… the ideal settings for photo shooting are also the ideal choice for birdwatching (especially in spring and autumn).

Ameglia: history

Since ancient times, the area – located between the Etruscans and the Celts – was a crossroads of pre-Roman trades, e.g., salt. The imposing Cafaggio necropolis ( 4th-3rd century b.C.) unveiled the daily life of the Ligurian Apuan tribe as well as 54 tombs complete with grave goods, the personal possessions of men and women. Furthermore, an interesting Roman villa stands by the sea near Bocca di Magra.

Ameglia’s highlights include the Santa Croce Carmelite convent (a chapel is dedicated to the ancient wooden Cristo nero, i.e. black Christ), the stunning, fortified borgo of Montemarcello, the epicentre of Monte Caprione, with its botanical garden over Monte Murlo, as well as the sights of Punta Corvo, a heaven of high pines, thyme, broom. 

Ameglia: the tradition of the “omo ar bozo”

Local lore features the 15th century tradition of “omo ar bozo”, an open-air rite celebrating the end of the Carnival season. Back in time the first foreigner (wrong place, wrong time…) to cross the area was “abducted”, obliged to listen to a sequence of verdicts (he was charged as a good deeds instigator - Carnival was the time of paradox…) and – after a fake self-confession – sentenced to a plunge into the “bozo” (a water pool which powered mills). Lastly, the confessed criminal re-emerges and enjoys a banquet in the company of his ex-oppressors. 

Ameglia: Angelo Paracucchi, the teller of local cuisine

Local cuisine boasts a rich parade of products and recipes. Master chef Angelo Paracucchi himself used to explore the big fruit&vegetables market in Pallodola as he looked for the best produce. His volume “La cucina della Lunigiana” (1981) featured contributions by food writers Mario Soldati and Gino Veronelli. More than a cooking handbook this is a monument I treasure in my library.

The best way to reach Ameglia is from Lerici through the scenic provinciale 28, which from La Serra, passing Mario Soldati’s Tellaro, traverses Monte Caprione. Enjoy the sight of the whole Gulf of la Spezia, on clear days the Tyrrhenian will guide your eyes towards Corsica.

My English abstract of the article by Umberto Curti as published on Liguria Food

Luisa Puppo

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