Where the rivers meet the Medusa of the grotto: A day in Busalla, Liguria, Italy

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A charming island with over a church and an imposing castle, surrounded by the clear waters of streams and fast Scrivia Migliarese and Busalletta: until a few centuries ago, who was watching from the side of the fraction Sarissola, Busalla looked just like that. Now the town has extended beyond these ancient natural boundaries, but the country still retains its strategic position in the past it was also because of the battles that led to the destruction of the ancient manor. Cited in the cards for the first time in 1192, Busalla has always been an important junction for roads that branch off from Genoa nell'Oltregiogo, reaching the Po Valley. In the Middle Ages the country, particularly in its narrow shape and long, extending from the pelvis of the Stone writes up to the Castle.
We begin our walk busallese an oasis of art and nature that is opposite to the square of the Station: Villa Borzino. Built in 1919 on behalf of Emilio Borzino, estimated Mrs Genovese, the villa is owned by the municipality since 1972. Surrounded by a beautiful park crossed by hedges and tree-lined paths, the Villa is home to the Mountain Community Alta Valle Scrivia Antola the Park, as well as various cultural associations. The park is a beautiful grotto, a faithful copy of the sixteenth century the Villa Sauli of Genoa. The grotto, made of precious materials such as coral, shells of Turritella, quartz rocks and polychrome ceramic tiles, has some figures of fauns and is adorned with the representation of two of the twelve labors of Hercules. The mighty fountain, with the image of Medusa, overlooking the splendid hall.
Continuing our stroll downtown, visit the arched bridge over the river Busalletta only. It is from the nearby nature trail of the lock, two kilometers long, up to the artificial lake of Busalletta. We visit the seventeenth-century parish church of San Giorgio and the Oratory of St. Bernard. Along the main road is also the lovely Chapel of St. Roch. Reaching Via Roma discover that we are in the neighborhood of the icebox, so called because before the invention of the refrigerator there were numerous pools for the production of ice.
We move from the center in the village Bastia by car to visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Bastia, built after the miraculous discovery of a statue of the Virgin in a cleft of rock. The initial country chapel built in 1660 was expanded and moved to its current location in 1722. In the spectacular cave is located adjacent to a precious marble statue of the Virgin by the Genoese sculptor Gio Batta Airaldi.
After this walk we devote the rest of the evening to the pleasures of good food, going downtown, and we just do a short stretch of road in the direction of the Scrivia Sarissola after crossing, to reach the Ristorante Pizzeria Da Pen, Via Unknown Soldier .
We settle in the spacious room, furnished with taste and originality, and as we begin to taste the delicious appetizers, chat with the owner John. "This space had taken over my father in 1972. Before you venture into the restaurant, was a carpenter and this activity represented a major challenge. The first year the place was a restaurant with a club-like environment, then in 1987 also gave rise to the pizzeria and went out as a restaurant and pizzeria, knowing quite a peak period of up to two thousand years. "
Let's start with the grilled peppers, marinated anchovies, seafood salad and the swordfish carpaccio. Our friends, as lovers of the specialties of the land, they choose, in addition to must-peppers, carpaccio of beef carpaccio and porcini mushrooms. We follow this rich starter from fresh homemade gnocchi, topped with four cheeses, trofiette pesto, ravioli typical Tucci and the fettuccine with tomato fried, a real treat. Some of us opt for lean pansotti with walnut sauce, and others give for choice among the eighteen types of rice dishes and various types of lasagna. Among the latter will not give some to taste a good cut, the grilled meat on the grill, roast, as well as traditional dishes such as rabbit alla ligure, fried fish, meatloaf, rocket and rags to Genoa. Let's water these goodness of the wines of Piedmont, Liguria, but also from other regions of Italy, chosen from several labels.
Our evening ends by yielding to the sweet temptations: tiramisu, panna cotta Catalan cream and homemade, as well as a "palette" of about twenty other types of sweets, all delicious. What more could you want? Simple: get back here soon!

Bertha Frances

PER INFORMAZIONI:
www.comune.Busalla.ge.it
www.dapenna.altervista.org
Ristorante Pizzeria Da Penna
Via Milite Ignoto, 25 Busalla (GE)