A day between tuna fishermen and corals: my trip to Laigueglia, Italy

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"I spent my life exploring the world. But when I arrived I had no hesitation in this place: my house would be built in this little paradise. "So said the famous Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl, Kon-Tiki expedition of the myth, when he discovered Laigueglia. The great navigator, enchanted by the beauty of the bay view from the heights of the Sun, immediately felt a deep connection to this place of memories and stories steeped in centuries of maritime life.
Travelers who arrived here about two hundred years ago, could attend the launch of beautiful sailing ships moored to the quays of the ten cities, built with wood from the nearby woods of Liguria, dried in open air with fire and shaped by the masters of 'ax laigueglini. We start our walk from the promenade, admiring the nearby island Gallinara that stands out in the blue of the sea as a backdrop to the boats of the fishermen. The beach is dominated by the impressive bastion of Levante: this is the only tower left standing of the three that were built in 1500 to defend the country that too often suffered the fierce attacks of the Saracens. In 1546 the pirate Dragut turkish managed to land and made many hostages, but thanks to the intervention of Captain Julius Berno Alassio, Alassio was saved. A colorful reenactment recalls each year in the month of July this event. One of the other defensive towers now demolished, the Middle Tower, still lives in the religious life of the city from there was in fact taken the bronze cannon, which served to make the big bell of the Parish Church of St. Matthew.
Visiting the beautiful parish church, built in the late '700 extending a previous construction, we find that the faithful were the same, mostly fishermen, to finance the work with offers, in addition to paying its workers. It 'always their intention that the crosses atop steeples, covered tiled Liguria, were oriented along the principal winds of the sea: the Northwest and the southwest.
Turning to the colorful alleyways of Laigueglia, inserted between the most beautiful villages in Italy, we also visit the church of Our Lady of Mount Caramel, discovering something: since the twelfth and thirteenth centuries was recorded in Laigueglia a significant immigration of Catalan fishermen, attracted to the burgeoning collection of coral. Catalan fishermen themselves were later to build, with the proceeds of the sale of raw coral mined during the holidays the Oratory of St. Mary Magdalene, as well as the sixteenth-century Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Pens.
Fascinated by the seafaring tradition of the town, we decide to stop for dinner at the Restaurant Pacan, Piazza Cavour, a short walk from the beach. "The restaurant was founded in 1985 as a creperie. We have expanded three years after turning it into a restaurant, and in 2008 was expanded with a bar overlooking the square. We are open all day for breakfast, lunch, dinner and after dinner. Our creperie is a meeting point during the night, but the same happens during the winter afternoons, when we light the fire and people come to take a hot tea, "she says chef Anthony Rapa who runs the restaurant with three partners: Pierangelo Tadioli turning out pizzas, crepes Luke Accettulli that creates Fadelli and Charles, the soul of the cocktails, the bar and desserts.
Some of us decided to enjoy some special pizzas such as Pizza Pacan, musciame made with tuna. "This is a thread that looks like the bresaola, and behind its use is an important chapter in the maritime tradition of Liguria. The fact is musciame of the fish that was once given to the Ligurian fishermen who worked in the Sicilian tuna and sardines, "explains the chef.
We begin with a dinner salad of octopus and pesciamme, made with tuna roe, musciame, sasizzella heart of tuna and spices. Some friends choose the mix of sea and the mix of other land. We follow this goodness from linguine with octopus, pens with seafood and pasta with sardines. Let's water these specialties with excellent local wines such as Vermentino and Pigati, while some of us enjoy a few labels Piedmont, Sardinia and Friuli. We continue with the fry, and we are lucky: there are also lussetti, the fish caught only in Noli. We also take the mussels marinara and grilled tuna.
Finally, we are to enjoy the fantastic crepes: with pastry cream and strawberries, and nutella with chocolate ice cream. We also take some excellent homemade ice cream while the kids dive on cioccopizza: a fabulous pizza topped with chocolate.
After dinner we treat ourselves to a nice walk on the waterfront, make sure that we come back here during the winter, to enjoy the warm crepes admiring the sea off season.

Bertha Frances

FOR INFORMATION:
www.comunelaigueglia.net
www.pacan.it
Ristorante Pacan
Piazza Cavour, 14 Laigueglia (SV)
Tel.: 0182/690100