03 Torrazza-Andora

(GPS) 03 Torrazza-Andora
(Google Earth) 03 Torrazza-Andora

3° stage: Torrazza – Andora 30,500km – Time: 8h00 – Difficulty: medium

Leaving the village of Torrazza, near the church of S. George, we cross the main road, we walk in “Via Fontana” and crossing an old pedestrian path, we reach the medieval Ponte S. Martino in “Clavi”, where we can admire the small Church, dedicated to the Saint, that was restored thanks to the FAI. We continue for 200 mt., going up in “Strada Coppi Rossi” that leads us on the ridge. We turn right on asphalt and, just after that, on the left, going down on a cobblestone path that leads us on the road that we cross. The path continues through vegetable gardens, we ford the “Rio Caramagna” (in case of bad weather we go southwards on the provincial bridge) reaching Caramagna. We cross the pretty village, turning right to reach the main road, we turn right again after a bridge  (*) and then immediately on our left passing on asphalt in “Via Ciosa”. After passing “Via Ciosa”,  we meet a fork, we take on the left a white road that, going up through olive groves, reaches the Sanctuary of Montegrazie. It’s the most important late medieval monument in the area, with frescoes of the XV century some of these are dedicated to the miracles of “San Giacomo di Compostela” (see the right side chapel). We take the road uphill side of the restaurant and continue along the paved road; then, at the junction, we keep right and proceed up slight slope between olive groves, enjoying the magnificent views up the hill of “Bardellini” (nearby the namesake farm); ( ) here we turn left down along a cobbled mule track, then cementated, leading us on the paved road of “Fontanarosa”. At the junction we turn left downhill to reach the road to S. Agata. We turn right and then immediately turn left down the “Strada dei Francesi”, soon after that, we take the path that leads us to “Barcheto”. A small deviation to our right in “Via Calvi, no. 20, allows us to reach the “Oratorio di S.Giacomo”. We  continue down the embankment of the river “Impero”, crossing the bridge road (with, on the left, the remains of the medieval bridge, and, upwards, the imposing sanctuary of Santa Maria Maggiore, the early church in the valley of “Oneglia”. We  turn right, passing under the new railway bridge, then left, then right again and we reach the “parrocchia Sacra Famiglia” (hospitality). We turn right into “Via Vecchia Piemonte”, then left in” Via A. Poliziano”, crossing “Via Garessio”, we take the pedestrian “Via Ugo Foscolo” and we cross “Via XXV Aprile”. We pass the soccer field, then “Via Costamagna”, turn left in “Via Gozzano” and we take the stairs on the right that leads us in “Via F.Roncati Carli” what is crossed for continuing on the clattered path reaching through a stairway the little church of S. Luca. We turn right, slightly uphill until we reach the junction with “Strada Savoia”. We turn left and we move forward “ Villa Margherita”, then, in front of a green gate number 24, we take the path in front of us downhill which cuts the hairpin bend of the cemetery, turning right on asphalt to get in Diano Gorleri, and arrived on the Provincial road we continue to Diano Serreta. We pass behind the church of “St. Anna” by narrow streets and we reach and pass the cemetery. Soon after that, we turn left into a path that allows us to shorten the road avoiding several turns. We leave that road soon to take the road on the left going to the cemetery in Diano Calderina to reach the beautiful church of San Giacomo (hospitality). We turn left under a portico, then turning right to descend on a cobblestone path, in the middle of olive groves, to reach the Roman bridge of Diano Marina.  We turn right on a Roman bridge, then left in “Via Diano Calderina”. We cross the “rotunda”, we take” Via Diano San Pietro, then “Via all’Isola”, we cross the ford over the stream Evigno, turn left in ”Via Rossini” then we go right into “Via Torrente”, where we see the ruins of the ancient (before thousands) church of S. Siro, the site of the Roman centre “Lucus Bormani”, then on the right we pass “Via Gombi”, “Via San Siro”, ”Via Gaiette”, “Via della Rodine”, “Via Traversa” and we arrive at the tiny village in “Piazza della Rovere”, where we visit the beautiful “Sanctuary of Madonna della Rovere”. We continue through a staircase in “Via Burmanno”,” Via C.  Battisti”, “Via Roma”, we turn left and walk about 100m, then we turn right into “Via XX Settembre” and “Via dello Spuntone”. We go past the “river Steria” and turning right into “Via Steria” we reach Cervo. We turn left in “Via S. Nicola” and we get to the church of San Nicola next to the cemetery; we go on down stairs crossing the bridge and we start walking “Via Salita Castello”, “Via Sandor Vegh” to reach the “Piazza dei Corallini” where is the magnificent “Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Giovanni Battista”, known as “dei Corallini”, an excellent example of Baroque architecture in Liguria. We can also admire the various noble “palazzi” in the village. We reach the top of the village where is located the medieval castle of Clavesana with the adjoining Museum of Ethnography, leaving the village through the door wall in the “Piazza Castello”. We turn right and, upon reaching the car park outside the town, turn right again to take the local road “Monte Piano” on a downhill path that goes to the ”Parco del Ciapà”. Here begins a beautiful journey on excavated road, surrounded by the Mediterranean scrub, which leads to the ridge near the television antennas, which are left on the right. The trail continues to climb up to a water tank on the left, by this time the trail becomes more level and leads to Passo Chiappa, the border between the provinces of Imperia and Savona. (The path described so far, from Ponte S. Ludovico to Passo Chiappa is indicated by the forked yellow arrow and the brick-faced with the shell of Santiago). Reaching Passo Chiappa, we turn right down steep: (road sign: red rumble) and on the old medieval route, we reach the church of San Giovanni, (hospitality). We are at Andora.

Variant: Cantalupo – Artallo 3,4km shorter.
(*) we continue straight for about 200m, turn left near “the elemetary school”,after about 150m turn on the right and then immediatily left and after about 60 meters turn right on a stairway in cement, continue on the path uphill sometimes cobbled, sometimes cemented; after 200 meters you go left on the cemented road. The route continues on “Strada Colle” on stairway to arrive in the old core of Cantalupo; it goes slightly downhill in “Via Umberto I”, came to the paved road we reach the hairpin bend and take the left stair leading in “Via Ricci” and continue straight uphill, we pass the large parking and near Oratorio di San Giacomo. Continue straight on cemented steps for about 50 meters, then continue on the path and arrived in “Via Bruno” turn right uphill, after about 200 meters at the crossroads turn right in “Via Cantalupo” narrow in paved road and at the junction turn left in “Strada Montegrazie”, after about 200m turn left downhill and after 100m turn left in “Strada Antica Artallo”; after about 400m, arrived at the bridge, cross it and continue on cement steps to get in the historic core of Artallo, then go straight down in “Via Steva”; reached the bottom, turn right and immediately left uphill in “Via Cason della Guardia”, paved road with stretches in strong slope. At the junction with a sign” No access” turn right to arrive near the farm “Colle dei Bardellini”, ( ) turn right and then immediately left down (be careful! sometimes the path is crossed by electrical wires that prevent animals from entering).

Hospitality:

Montegrazie (Imperia): “Sanctuary N.S. delle Grazie” (R) – “Via delle Scuole, 12” – notice is necessary – Credential obligatory – apply Don Paul – tel. +39018369305 mob. +393428672773 paulkerner@gmail.com – 3 beds – to be provided with sleeping bag – bathroom with shower –  free offer.
Imperia Oneglia:  Parish Sacra Famiglia” (R) ” Via Sacra Famiglia” – notice is necessary – Credential obligatory – apply Don Paulo – mob.+0393474272288 – 3 beds – to be provided with sleeping bag – bathroom with shower –  free offer.
Diano Calderina: Church “San Giacomo” (R) – notice is necessary – Credential obligatory – apply  Don Luca – mob. +0393332330291 – 8 beds – to be provided with sleeping bag – bathroom with shower – cooking possibilities – free offer.
Andora: Parish “San Giovanni Battista” (R) – “Via dei Piehler, 10” – notice is necessary – Credential obligatory – apply Don Taddeo tel. +39018285278 cell.+393403103615 – seats – to be provided with mat and sleeping bag – bathroom with shower – cooking possibilities – present 10€.
Andora, 2km from the path: Parish “Cuore Immacolato di Maria” (O.P.) (R) – “Via Dei Mille, 11” – notice is necessary – Credential obligatory – apply the Parish Priest – tel. 0182285409 – to be provided with sleeping bag – bathroom with shower – cooking possibilities – free offer.

Distances and reference marks:

 Torazza- Caramagna                                          km   2,250
Caramagna- Santuario Montegrazie                    km   3,400
Santuario Montegrazie- Az. Vinicola                   km   3,900
Az.Vinicola-Fontana Rosa                                   km   0,300
Fontana Rosa- San Giacomo Barcheto               km   1,200
San Giacomo Barcheto- Sacra Famiglia             km   1,400
Sacra Famiglia-San Luca                                    km   1,000
San Luca- Diano Gorleri                                      km   1,900
Diano Gorleri- Diano Serreta                               km   1,150
Diano Serreta- Diano Calderina San Giacomo    km   1,200
D.Calderina S.Giacomo-Sant. della Rovere        km   3,600
Sant.della Rovere-S.Giovanni Cervo                  km   2,200
San Giovanni Cervo- antenne Parco del Ciapà  km   3.000
Antenne Parco del Ciapà-Passo Chiappa          km   2,200
Passo Chiappa-San Giovanni Andora                km   1,800
                                                                 Total km 30,500