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Ancient places of worship in Liguria

The ancient shrine on the summit of Mount Dragnone (Zignago)

Dragnone The mountain is a massive deep-sea, emerging from the valley of the river Gravegnola, left tributary of the Vara, rises up to reach 1011 meters in height.

is unique because of its perfect conical shape, whose sides are completely covered by pine trees except for some stretches, the largest of them to the north, who have been subject, since time immemorial, to a continuous erosion that has caused major landslides.

crumbling walls appear to be an unusual gray-green, washed since the land has left open a thick layer of coils that are more resistant but still, surely, slipping into the valley.

the foot of the mountain is the village of Pieve, which branches off the only road - dirt road - to reach the top. From the top you can enjoy an impressive view: to the east, the mouth of the Magra, Mount Caprione and the Gulf of Spezia, to the south, the entire ridge of the Cinque Terre and Val di Vara media; to west, the Passo del Bracco, the Val di Vara and, at times, the promontory of Portofino, to the north, near the watershed between the Val di Vara and Val di Magra, the Zerasca, Passo Due Santi and Pontremoli.

A hundred yards from the north side of the mountain is Dragnone Castellaro of which, starting from the name, we can guess the old function. Recently, in fact, archaeological excavations on the summit of this mountain (subject to rapid erosion), brought to light an important settlement of the Bronze Final Anthropic, as well as successive layers, until the High Middle Ages (1). The peak of

Dragnone, occupied by a Marian shrine, was of archaeological interest which have indicated to those of contemporary human presence Castellaro.

findings, unfortunately, were in the secondary field, probably due to the excavation of land to build the foundations of the sanctuary, so it was not possible to make an efficient stratigraphy (2).

In any case, it was important to test the hypothesis, formulated some time ago, human activity on the mountain.

Our interest lies, in fact, the current ratio between these archaeological data and the existence of a Marian shrine with its traditions. The building

has suffered over time, various reconstructions, with the last in 1856, as evidenced by the inscription on the gateway, based on an existing building of the eighteenth century, itself built on a more ancient.

In this case, the oral tradition speaks of the apparitions, but gives a much more ancient rituals.

is the annual procession to the shrine of Our Lady of Dragnone which takes place today, September 8. One time, however, the event was not resolved in a simple procession: each participant, in fact, carrying a tree branch (some say turkey) that, during the climb, was planted in a pasture with all the others to form a circle in which, after putting in the afternoon, the faithful were gathered to eat and play together (3).

extremely important for our research is the presence of this circle made of tree branches, like a magic circle within which the community feels secure and it may be at leisure without fear. This symbolic ritual is certainly not part of traditional Christian background. It seems, however, a much older tradition from its origins, the result of a type of shamanic religious culture.

The figure of the sacred circle , in fact, is strongly linked to the character since shaman is the tool that allows both to get in touch with the divine, both to protect themselves from it. As part of the occult sciences, the circle represents an island protected, in which the magician can defend itself from the otherworldly power of what is evoked. In

strictly Celtic, tradition reports that a circle formed by a branch of a tree bent, served hero Cuchulainn to stop the onslaught of the enemy to his country (4).

Instead, speaking more generally of Celtic civilization / Liguria, we see how the circle is often represented in carvings and works megalithic. Circular shapes or shells, In fact, the large proportion of rock art corpus Liguria and, although the original provisions have been lost, the circle is a central symbol in many megalithic monuments Italians.

addition, the figure of the Druid, common to the Celts and Gauls, both "neighbors" of Liguria, is surely the result of a shamanistic culture from the ground and, in many ways, reflects the spiritual functions of the shaman himself.

The etymology of the word "druid", among others, seems to derive from the Saxon term dru wis , with the meaning of knowledge, in which the word wis indicates the tree or, more generally, wood .

It is highly likely, therefore, that the ritual that accompanied it, until after World War I, the procession to the summit of Dragnone was to pre-Roman origin, probably of Celtic, so important for the people of Liguria in the past that although Christianity is managed to survive until the third millennium.

We can assume, therefore, a very ancient place of worship on Mount Dragnone, perhaps linked to the prehistoric worship of the peaks .

of this cult has been discussed extensively over the past fifty years and the hypothesis appears to have consolidated, given the geographical density of testimony throughout the state of Liguria, which was in antiquity.

To strengthen the hypothesis in this sense for Dragnone, the finds at the top, not far from the shrine, votive artifacts are due to (5), evident traces of an ancient association of the mountain to a deity.

In Liguria, as mentioned above, many peaks were subjected to worship, starting from prehistory (6) and the entire Apennine chain owes its name to Pen, the Celtic god / Ligurian peaks, hypotheses based on the name " nib on Alp "Peutingeriana paper.

In this sense, we support an ancient legend that tells of an age in which the distant and Dragnone Castellaro were not divided as now but united, and together with another mountain nearby (currently in the municipality of Zeri), formed a single mass called Monte Fiorito. The men lived on this mountain meadows with characteristic ever-blooming, carefree, in a sort of golden age when there were no suffering, inequality, disease, etc..

This earthly paradise eventually work of the devil (of course, introduced after the Christianization of the Act), in an apocalypse orogeny, divided with a paw Mount Fiorito and reduced as we know it today.

Legend, taste a fairy tale, tells us two important data: the first is the sacredness of the mountain, connected heavenly well-being and the intrinsic immortality inherent in the concept of universal golden age. A sacredness that already shows us how ancient legend.

The second is the human settlement on the mountain. History tells us, in fact, that men lived on this mountain. This reference may result from latent consciousness that the place was old and once home of people who subsequently founded the residential areas below. These data encourage us in the event of a prehistoric settlement on the summit Dragnone that if it was not a living character, he could at least be religious in nature or in some way sacred.

In this case, unfortunately, the place names there is no help because the meaning of the name "Dragnone", probably of Celtic origin, is currently unknown, while the name "horn", the ancient name by which the area was called, arises from the non-Indo-European root- Karr, with the meaning of hardness or strength, which is not particularly affect our research.

Despite this, and thanks to the above, it can however be considered with some confidence that the Dragnone was, for the Liguria, an important point of spiritual reference. Not by chance, not far from the mountain was found the famous statue-stele No. 1, of which we discussed in the Introduction of this book.

It has been suggested that this stele was originally belongs to group A (III / II millennium BC) but has been altered in more recent times, so much so that scholars associate with the
group C (Iron Age) (7).

In particular, the inscription in Etruscan characters carved on the left side of the stele is considered, in order of time, the last vestige of man working on the monument, possibly dating to the fourth / third century BC.

On this inscription, which in Latin we can report as "mezunemunius" were made several assumptions, many of them quite imaginative, we could not give a true and final interpretation.

The only accredited hypothesis, to date, argues that, beyond the interpretation of the writing, it is a transcription of words in Etruscan characters belonging to the Ligurian language, which we know little or nothing.

Some scholars have considered the possibility that the stone may have been reused as a stone entrance to the sacred forest of Mount Dragnone but, also fascinating supposition, could not have, for now, some archaeological evidence.

fact is that the top of Dragnone, venerated today in the name of the Virgin Mary has been venerated since ancient times, perhaps in relation to the pagan gods exported or transferred from the Celtic world. The names of these deities have been lost but what is left, the rituals of the sacred circle and archaeological remains, give us important evidence of their existence and launch, once again, to us in this, a message of knowledge that has survived through the centuries to a mysterious, distant past.

Notes:
(1) AA.VV., Zignago 1: settlements and land , Genova, CLSCM, 1977 (2) Idem
(3) C. Gabrielli Rosi, Legends and places of fear between Liguria and Tuscany, Florence, Pacini Editore, 1991 (4) J. Chevalier, A. Gheerbrant, Dictionary of Symbols, Milano, Rizzoli Editore, 2006 (5) Source: Archaeological Superintendence of Liguria (6) M. Giuliani (1964), Monte Burello Ligurian and the cult of the peaks , in historical archives for the provinces of Parma, Series IV, No XVI, pp.39-47 (7) AC Ambrosi, Corpus stele-statues of Lunigiana , Borfighera, Ist Int. of Ligurian Studies, 1972

Monte Dragnone seen Beverone

Dragnone Monte and Monte Castellaro. At the bottom of the Gruzza Vezzanelli

The Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Dragnone seen Castellaro (foreground)

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two routes: the ' Former railroad routes Levanto-Bonassola

Levanto After a route in the Middle Ages, we have proposed in previous posts, we suggest to the curious tourist and attentive to this short and pleasant walk that, by tracing the historical route of the former railway, leading from Levanto Bonassola. The start is in

Vallesanta location, not far from the main car park of the town, at the former station, now the seat of civil protection. Here, in the far west of the Bay of Levanto, just above the beach, is the first gallery, which is reached by a modern urban intervention, the so-called waterfront ; building which, being inserted overall size of the former roadbed station, offers a promenade with benches and fragrant flower beds, along with other real estate projects of dubious value. We

start by saying that the railway route in question is part of the wider route Sestri Levante-Monterosso, because of management problems linked to the extreme proximity to the sea was closed to rail traffic in the early '70s, replaced by ' current system, most modern and interior to the coast. The creation of this is as far back as the 60 800 and was officially inaugurated in 1874. The work is huge, if we think at the time when it was made and today, almost a hundred and fifty years from creation, is preserved almost intact. The galleries in this case were dug entirely by hand, with only use of explosives and the extracted material was milled locally and used for the installation of all necessary building structures.

The walk from Levanto to Bonassola, absolutely prohibited to motor vehicles and dedicated to pedestrians and cyclists, was inaugurated in March this year, after a couple of years of work of consolidation and safety of some parties. This is a truly excellent job, considering that in some places erosion had been such as to totally destroy the road. The dropped points were reconstructed with expertise, consolidated walls, tunnels reinforced where necessary, made safe and lit and, where the route is open, was installed in a sturdy metal railings.

The route, approximately 3 km long, passes through the coils of the cliff and Levanto sunny alternate sections in the open, where you can enjoy the beauty of an almost untouched part of the coast that has never known mass tourism, sometimes too long in the tunnel.

Vallesanta The first gallery, very quick, makes you an idea of \u200b\u200bthe remarkable nineteenth-century architecture that will accompany the entire route, with arches made of local stone and brick in a workmanlike manner. Before entering to the right of the gallery, there is a crossing keeper, now a private residence. After the second tunnel, a large outdoor section, bordered by the wall of the rail, can breathe a breath of sea air and enjoy the warmth of the sun. On the left, a beach frequented by backpackers in the fall offers a pleasant surf. Below the water, numerous caves and ravines open, revealing to those who love diving a colorful and amazing biodiversity.

The third tunnel is short and leads, after a few tens of meters from the entrance to an artificial opening connected to the next tunnel, covered with a very unique time in brick and supported by the high ridge, which was cleverly reinforced to maintain its appearance. This is a point where the ridge meets the sea, by the strength of its waves salted, had seriously affected the strength. At this point you can admire the impressive virtuosity builders that make this railway line, most notably the shoulders of sandstone above the time, the mouths of the two tunnels and access to a lineup, now lost but which existed until a few years ago, to access above the ceiling, so steep that it seemed to defy gravity. In addition, you can admire the architectural details of the tunnels, the use of two different materials, the blocks of coil up to two meters off the ground and then the bricks for the vault and the many niches of service for maintenance technicians. Here and there you see some railway signals made with black and white tiles and other bearing a number. At exactly half the time of the galleries, you may notice the black stripe left by the soot from the steam locomotives, which first crossed the railway. Continuing

, take the fourth tunnel, rather long, coming in sight of the resort "The Francesca" Bonassola. This was the most seriously damaged. Until the restructuring, in fact, the road had been completely eroded by the sea for several meters el'imboccatura the tunnel had collapsed. Now, however, the ridge was Fully restored, the waste water of the mountain above was channeled in two places and was created a wide open space. The tunnel entrance was rebuilt in concrete blocks covered with serpentine and was saved and restored (just outside) the box that was there. Although the interior is completely destroyed, you can still see the seat of the fire, the ground floor and the chimney still blackened. Also note the ingenious architecture of a lineup that allowed the inspection of the high wall of the mountain, the true test of strength is the end of construction, since any substantial rain water exerts considerable pressure on it.

At this point we enter the fifth and final gallery, the longest, which leads directly to Bonassola. This tunnel curves slightly inward, so halfway you can not see either the entry or exit, as in all others. Lighting reassure them, and after passing a stretch where the gallery takes on a strange shape, reinforced with steel keys and subject to a heavy water infiltration, the time is growing, and doubled in a second exit in Bonassola offering the vision of its refreshing and tranquil bay, at the opposite end of this, the lovely church of Santa Rosalia.

On nearby rocks, a German bunker relic of the war. Right, still great arches of the ridge, rusty iron due to infiltration.

A relaxing, just right for all, including disabled people, which allows you to enjoy some stretches of coastline and little known to live again, at least in part, a fragment of recent history that certainly deserves to be deepened, perhaps even with some panel teaching to illustrate the little-known story of the first rail journeys in Liguria.

Levanto, the Waterfront

entrance of the first gallery

Interior of the third tunnel

An outdoor section

Opening time between two tunnels

Spallina sandstone and entry to the lineup now destroyed

The ballast completely rebuilt and the toll

tunnel entrance last

Bay Bonassola

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: Levanto

Levanto is a seaside town, everyone knows that. There are wide beaches, local hiking trails, a marina, where land and, in winter, even waves suitable for surfing. But what we propose here is not a conventional tourist route, suitable for all seasons and enjoyable by those who seek not only to roast in the sun or enjoy an ice cream, but whose curiosity leads them to search for hidden traces of the past .

Levanto Vinzoni in cartography (1773)

Levanto, these tracks are not so hidden, you just come off just by the seafront promenade, just above the bathrooms and restaurants. The medieval town with a rich and powerful, noble Genoese vassalage, emerges with fascinating architecture and picturesque locations, allowing the imagination to reconstruct a unique urban landscape and profoundly different from today.

We can start an interesting path climbing from the promenade area in the former Casino, via a short flight of steps between the houses, the castle built in the second half of the thirteenth century, on a property that had been Malaspina as a defensive bulwark of the gulf Levanto. The castle, although they have not undergone renovations recently, is very well preserved and shows all its magnificence. Unfortunately, being a privately owned, the interior is not open, but it's still enjoyable views of the Bay of Peter and the hinterland, with the bell tower of St Andrew's Church which stands on rooftops and in gardens. Not far away, following the signs, you can take a fascinating journey of the walls that defended the town. Descending from the mighty medieval walls along a stairway very scenic but, unfortunately, a bit 'degraded, you can take a bow on the left, after a few steps leads to the large square in front of the Gothic church of St. Andrew, whose beautiful facade of alternating bands of white marble and serpentine local has a magnificent rose window stained. The church, mentioned for the first time in the thirteenth century, but probably more ancient, perfectly preserved Gothic aesthetic of the Ligurian and holds a long series of valuable works of religious art on display inside, including the choir stalls of the sixteenth century A crucifix of the fifteenth century, and many paintings and frescoes from various periods. In front you can see some faces apotropaic anthropomorphic, which go back to an ancient pagan tradition which is shown throughout the eastern Liguria and Lunigiana.

Going down the stairs of the courtyard and along the road perpendicular to it briefly, we find ourselves in front of the beautiful loggia of the thirteenth century, protected by UNESCO and which has become a symbol of historical Levanto. This lodge was used in medieval times as a point of loading and unloading goods, in the context of the ancient trading port. In fact, almost until the sixteenth century, the stream Cantarana, which now flows under the roadway, was navigable, at least in the first leg. This allowed the creation of a specially protected river port, where vessels penetrated from the sea, which was for centuries the center of life of the town. To find some remains of the harbor so unusual, it is sufficient cross the street in front of the lodge, the one that was the seat of the fairway, and set out in the unique atmosphere of the streets where you can see many times in serpentinite, now walled in, that many a time to load into warehouses for the storage of goods.

The mind works not just to rebuild the unique image of this important trading center, replacing a placid green channel and the road and the square in front of the lodge, imagining the stores turned estuary of the river where there are now buildings, factories beaches and bars. The Cantarana today is a draining of mountain water, the scope of which certainly does not think of a navigable channel, although past the inflow had to be much greater when you consider that it was the debris carried downstream by the river to bury the port, making it unusable to the draft of the boats and, therefore, decreed its end. In fact, already in the map Vinzoni (second half of the eighteenth century), the mouth of the river is very far from the medieval port.

Returning to the square of the Lodge, take the alley stepped on the right, along which you can admire the ancient home of the Da Passano, an ally of the powerful Genovese family, which for a time he had dominion over Levanto. Of particular value, along with some strings in serpentinite of excellent workmanship, the portal stained well preserved, even when inserted in an architectural context creepy.

Continuing in this way, you come to the oratory of St. James, home of the brotherhood of the same name, and the church of Santa Maria della Costa currently under renovation. To the left of the latter, the route runs between the houses and briefly reunited with the most evocative of medieval walls. Here is the clock tower of circular cross section and a complement to defensive structure, then (presumably since the nineteenth century), rebuilt to house a large clock tower. Tower soars above the entire town, dominates and providing a reference point for those who work in the urban landscape. From here, the route of the wall, with battlements still well preserved, the only ones that have remained intact, goes back to the bed of Cantarana.

At this point, continue going up the stream. First you can see the beautiful thirteenth-century architecture of the new home of the Museum of Material Culture and the hostel "Hospitality of the Sea." The building has been renovated a few years ago by the town of Levanto, and is obviously built with the same criteria for all buildings in the river port, in an elegant green serpentine, to accommodate both warehouses, and spaces for human habitation.

Adjacent to this building, there is a lower stretch of the walls, represented by the Water Gate. Two towers on opposite sides of the river are connected by a walkway suspended fine workmanship. The left tower, looking north, has an opening to the campaign, the only gateway to the town has come down.

Moving from this port town along the right side of the river hydraulics, and passing through a pretty little medieval bridge. Following the path for a few hundred meters, through a typical creuza country, we reach the town of Prealbe that, in the Middle Ages, was probably the 'ager Levanto. The name, probably of Roman origin, may be related to the presence of some limestone rock formation or gessifera (petra dawn = white stone), which, however, there comes memory. Prealbe is an area with a strong agricultural tradition, which successfully cultivated the olive tree, which was pressed in the past that stands in the watermill on the river, which remains in view of the metal wheel. Continuing through the cultivated terraces, the trail climbs the heights of Masco and is connected with the CAI n ° 1, which leads to Monterosso.

way back from Prealbe towards the Water Gate, it is impossible not to notice an urban project still under construction, Prealbe Residence, which is very intrusive in the quiet and beautiful nature of the valley. There are three or four bad apartment buildings with underground parking, which occupy the area of \u200b\u200bformer railway shed, next to the tunnel that led to Monterosso. This is one of those interventions "building up the wild", which made heaven Levanto real estate speculators. Not only the complex is visually ugly, but it is also invasive and inappropriate, as part of an agricultural landscape and natural element more suited to an urban center, whose construction philosophy is only that of profit and capital movement. In addition, finding the complex two yards from the river, has also prevailed on a specific aquatic environment, not to mention archaeological remains that would be expected to find many in a deep excavation in this area, but which instead do not know anything. Finally, the initiative is absolutely useless, entering a market that is universally referred to as "saturated" to say the least.

In any case, coming into the urban context through the Water Gate, you can finish the walk with an ascent of the walls, but did not deny a look at this laundry at the camp, used by local housewives to the end of the year 60.

Taking the alley that runs along the walls, which in this stretch in all their grandeur, between slits and windows go up to the Castle, from where the journey had begun.

This trip is suitable for everyone, adults and children, simple and easy to reach, but reveals a little-known heritage, to which the mass tourism greatly prefer the beaches and noisy distractions of the summer.

be noted as very positive note, the presence of signs and information panels that illustrate different aspects of life in Levanto in the Middle Ages, from the dock to the walls, the Palace to pass.

If you prefer, you can visit other sites that belong to the middle ages of this city, as the former convent of Poor Clares, the current town hall, the convent of the Augustinian Fathers, on the Rossola slopes of the mountain, the ruins of the monastery of St. Anthony of Masco, one of the most beautiful scenic spots in the Cinque Terre.

Castle Levanto

seen from the castle walls

Church of Sant'Andrea

Sant'Andrea - the canopy

La Loggia

Archi old dock

The warehouses of the river port

The Clock Tower and the Oratory of San Giacomo

From Home pass - Stained portal

Old Dock - now the Museum of Material Culture

walls to Prealbe. The stream flows under the road Cantarana

The Water Gate

Ponte medieval Prealbe

obscene

The construction of the Residence Prealbe

The imposing walls of the alleys

parts of the walls incorporated in the civil defense

One of the signboards of the dock

Panorama of the old town of Levanto with the bell tower of St. Andrea