Valleggia is one of the fascinating hamlets of Quiliano a center on the Riviera di Ponente in the province of Savona in Liguria, a suggestive and picturesque territory from a landscape point of view with suggestive vineyards and terraces planted with flowers with magnificent views of the Mediterranean as a splendid setting.
This Ligurian was a settlement of Celto-Ligurian populations, Roman and then part of the glorious Republic of Genoa which left indelible traces included in the enhancement of various fruit and vegetable products as the iconic Ligurian Apricot, the albicocca di Valleggia universally famous for its history and undisputed goodness.
The charm of this small inland village located between Savona and Vado Ligure on the slopes of the Baraccone and Burot hills in the Quiliano Valley furrowed by a stream of the same name is remarkable, a land able to bewitch everyone.
Once you arrive on site you can start the visit with the beautiful Church of the Holy Savior which, although erected in 1500 in Gothic style with relative traces visible in the rear body, was largely reformed in the 700s and 800s acquiring a purely Baroque architectural profile with neoclassical influences characterized by a large tympanum with sculptures inside.
Other highlights are large windows enclosed by columns and a refined rectangular portal. The interior with a nave has beautiful decorations and some valuable eighteenth and nineteenth century statues.
Continuation with the Oratory of San Sebastiano, a structure that incorporates the foundations of the ancient Church of the Most Holy Savior located in front of the Monument dedicated to the Fallen of the Wars in the same square where the church stands, a building highlighted by beautiful arches under a sloping terracotta roof.
A further attraction of Valleggia is Villa Garroni, a splendid nineteenth-century mansion that was the residence of the Marquis Camillo Garroni, a building that was completely restored after the bombings of the Second World War where it suffered severe damages during and today in perfect condition as in its splendor.
Later I suggest visiting the producer and seller of the famous Valleggia apricot which was already present in its variety in China 20 centuries BC. and subsequently cultivated in the Middle East and Armenia.
Scientifically known as "Prunus Armeniaca", it was introduced to the European continent from the time of Alexander the Great.
This iconic fruit with the unique qualities that has made this village of Savona famous is harvested from mid-June to mid-July and had a significant fame at the end of the 800s, reaching significant production peaks in the 50s and 60s thanks to the climatic conditions and fertility of the local soils that favor the cultivation of extensive areas with fruit trees developed mainly.
They were mainly developed between the territories of Varazze and Loano in which only a few small orchards survive today but maintaining as epicenters still active Valleggia as a natural cradle and others created in the areas of Finale Ligure and Spotorno, an area that produced 70% of the harvest of the entire province of Savona since now.
This kind of apricot began to be exported not only on the national territory but abroad, especially in neighboring France, but also in Switzerland and Germany with special trains, although the activity was practically abandoned later for almost thirty years due to the advent of cheaper fruits on the market from other geographical areas, Italy and abroad.
Other reasons were the considerable building expansion along the Savona coast and the boom of tourism as a primary industry, which came back into vogue a few years ago.
In the last thirty years, operations have been planned to reuse pre-existing sixty-year-old and seventy-year-old trees with the planting of new ones.
Today's cultivation takes place at 300.0 meters above sea level on the gentle hills of the coastal coast in a territorial strip between Vado Ligure and Albissola with the traditional method used in ancient times and not espalier as on the other hand happens in contemporary orchards.
All this obviously requires a greater manpower in terms of pruning and harvesting using three rootstocks , namely, peach franc, apricot and plum myrobalan.
The rustic plant with a tall trunk is long-lived, characterized by a gradual and often late flowering but fully absorbing all the properties of the subsoil, which is neither arid nor too humid, containing mineral salts and active components that guarantee the goodness of the fruit during ripening.
This small apricot highlights a smooth and velvety skin, very pleasant to the touch, the shade is a lively orange with very small dots with a brick red shade and a more intense aroma at first smell than that of other "sisters" on the market.
The pulp is very firm, immediately palatable, leaving an aroma in the mouth that goes from sweetish at the first taste to pleasant sugary sweetness after a few seconds.
Excellent for jams that can be available throughout the year, used for edible purposes in the gastronomic field for the preparation of cakes and desserts, this apricot is the main ingredient of a refreshing aperitif protagonist in a festival that is celebrated at the beginning of July.
The Valleggia apricot is also very resistant, withstanding days of transport and handling in its elaboration without undergoing alterations. As a further characteristic in ancient times the Arabs proved in addition to its sublime edibility excellent medical-curative properties and since then this fruit has been used for aphonias, pharyngitis, general sore throats, syrup creations and for anemia treatments.
The main contemporary producers are at the head of small local companies united in a couple of cooperatives for a total of about thirty entrepreneurs who still prefer hand harvesting.
To protect this fruit and vegetable product, they have created, with the collaboration of the Regional Institutions and the help of the State Institutions, a quality and identity brand called "Valeggia Apricots" to protect the native fruit.
In addition to that, they are proponents of direct actions in developing a progressive targeted growth concerning the recovery of the territory once cultivated with new plantations and support for producers with little visibility in the markets.
Time for your lunch of the day with first courses to choose between Trofie with Pesto with Anchovies and Olives or Risotto with Tomino and Ligurian Aromatic Herbs, the options between the second courses will be Cuttlefish Buridda or Pork Chop with Sage.
The visit of Valleggia represents a wonderful day of tourism, the Ligurian hinterland is of a unique beauty, offering fabulous landscapes, with important historical monuments, a wonderful nature and iconic edible products such as the apricot of Valleggia a symbol of the beautiful Italy to remember.
Links : https://www.quilianonline.it/categoria/turismo/
https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/it/presidi-slow-food/albicocca-di-valleggia/
Where to Stay | Recommended Accommodation in the area
B&B L’ Antica Macina
Villa Claudia
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