Villanova D'albenga: Church Art, Violets and Nature

Holiday Apartment in Villanova d'Albenga: History and Nature

Villanova d'Albenga combines fortified local history, sacred art, the violet-growing tradition and nature. In Villanova d'Albenga, churches and local history stand alongside local cuisine, nature and horse racing.

Churches, Art and Fortified Local History

At the edge of the oldest settlement stands the Oratorio di San Giovanni Battista; it is still the seat of the Brotherhood of the same name. Its wall paintings include a cycle depicting the Virgin Mary, the Child and saints from the 14th century, as well as a Passion cycle dating from the late 15th to the early 16th century. The wooden sculptures Madonna della Misericordia and a 16th-century crucifix are also kept there.

The Chiesa di Santo Stefano di Cavatorio was built before the foundation of the fortified settlement and preserves traces of its earlier Romanesque structure. Its façade has a portico built in the 15th century with reused marble elements; the medieval bell tower features single- and double-arched openings with a central column and corbel capital. The foundation of Villanova as a fortified settlement was decided on 7 December 1250; Villanova was established as part of the fortified settlements founded between 1250 and 1288.

Not far from the historic centre, on the road to Garlenda, lies the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Soccorso. Its distinctive cylindrical shape explains its nickname, La Rotonda; an embedded tomb inscription gives 1520 as the start of its construction. In the Ligo district, San Bernardo preserves several Cartelami in good condition; they were recently part of an exhibition at the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa.

Violets and Local Cuisine

“a ventre” is considered a local dish that was prepared on Good Friday according to an old recipe using tuna stomach. It was passed down by the Tonnarotti, men who once worked at the tuna fisheries in Sardinia. Villanova's characteristic sweet treats include baci e sorriso with violet flavour. Violet cultivation was introduced in the 1880s: seasonal emigrants from Villanova D'albenga brought plants from Ollioulles-Var in France and learned the cultivation technique there. After the Genoa–Ventimiglia railway line was completed at the end of 1873, production gained access to Northern European markets in addition to the national market.

Arroscia-Valloni and Sporting Highlights

The protected Arroscia-Valloni area includes a river sub-basin and a former extraction area for Pliocene clays with permanently or periodically water-filled ponds that have since been restored to a natural state. It contains garrigue and maquis, as well as small erosion landscapes rich in fossils. The area is home to one of the last populations in Liguria of the European pond turtle, Emys orbicularis, and to birds included in Annex I of Directive 79/409/EEC.

The Ippodromo dei Fiori specialises in trotting and flat racing. Its track is 1,000 m long; measurements are taken at a distance of one metre from the inner track boundary. Clemente Panero Airport is located in Villanova D'albenga.

Discover More Places

For your further selection of places, besides Villanova D'albenga you can also consider Menosio, Ranzi, Ellera, Orco Feglino, Loano, Casanova Lerrone and Quiliano. Marta also belongs to the subordinate local area.

For the higher-level travel overview: Savona.