Event Info
An unforgettable tour of four days and three nights that will end in one of the loveliest and most romantic towns of the Italian Riviera, Portofino.
Our tour begins in the Piedmont region, in the heart of Monferrato, at the eighteenth-century farmstead now known as “Villa Sparina Resort” ****S. All around us, the panoramic vineyards of Monterotondo, the production area of the renowned white, “Cortese di Gavi”, transporting us to an other-worldly oasis, soothed by the silence and tranquility of nature.
We will leave Piedmont for Liguria, driving along one of the most challenging and thrilling stretches of highway in Italy, the A7 “Milano- Serravalle”, adored by drivers for its rapid alternation of turns and inclines. Unleashing the horsepower of our high-performance super-cars along this tract will be truly electrifying, as we experience our vehicles’ superlative dynamic performance.
Passing through the city of Genoa, we will cross a span hailed as a masterpiece of Italian engineering, the new “Genova San Giorgio” bridge, designed by Archistar Renzo Piano, after which we will exit the highway at Recco, heading for Santa Margherita Ligure on one of the most classic and panoramic state roads, “Strada Statale 1 – Via Aurelia”.
The first day concludes with a private tour of one of the most charming and poetic structures in Liguria, built atop a cliff along the seashore, “La Cervara – Abbazia di San Girolamo al Monte di Portofino”. Words barely suffice to do justice to this Abbey, with its splendid Italian-style formal gardens. An absolutely unique place, eliciting spiritual epiphanies.
The second day will be entirely dedicated to one of Liguria’s world-renowned products: pesto. Led by an expert guide, we will visit Genoa’s Mercato Orientale, the city’s oldest covered market. Here we will begin our journey through the Genovese culinary tradition, starting with its natural ingredients.
After the market, we will tour the medieval town center, taking a short stroll – about 15 minutes – along the main shopping avenue, embellished by magnificent palazzos of the last century. We will then be welcomed into a sixteenth century palazzo (the so-called Palazzi dei Rolli, a UNESCO world heritage site), where an expert cook will teach us how to make pesto alla Genovese in the traditional manner, using a mortar and pestle. More than a simple cooking lesson, this will be a full immersion in the local food culture.
At the end of the lesson, we will sample the pesto along with a traditional Ligurian handmade pasta, “le trofie”, and other local specialties like savory quiches and fried anchovies, accompanied by typical Liguria wines.
Finally, the entire third day of our tour will be spent savoring the charms of Portofino and its surroundings, a taste of the Italian Riviera and its “Dolce Vita”.
We will board a “Gozzo”, a typical Liguria fishing boat that has its origin in the Italian seafaring tradition and set sail for San Fruttuoso, a small seaside village; a unique oasis of a handful of houses perched between the pine woods of Portofino’s hills and the crystalline waters of the sea of Liguria di Levante. A truly magnificent spot, unlike any other.
There we will visit the Benedictine monastery, overlooking a tiny cove protected by a sixteenth century turret, its architecture in perfect harmony with the natural surroundings. Its inaccessibility and the presence of a freshwater spring made it the perfect place to build a church, back in the eighth century A.D. Legend has it that it was the martyr Fruttuoso himself who chose that cove, indicating it in a dream to Prospero, the Bishop of Tarragona, fleeing from the Iberian peninsula invaded by the Moors and seeking a place where the bones of the Saint he carried with him would be safe.
Sunday morning our tour ends on a note of exclusivity and glamour when, before leaving on our return leg, we park our super-cars in the celebrated “Piazzetta di Portofino” for a “cappuccino” or an “espresso all’Italiana”, souvenir photos and a final round of warm good-byes.
Liguria is one of Italy’s most fascinating regions. The deep blue of the sea and sky are matched by the greenery and the pastel colors of the houses of the villages along the shore: a land rich in history and tradition, whose aromas and flavors go back thousands of years. Exploring Liguria makes for a unique and characteristic experience, authentic, that takes one back to the roots of small, simple things, the things that make up today’s true luxury.
These are the key elements of an invigorating and unforgettable tour, full of surprises and charm and I’m delighted you are taking part.