SHARRYLAND
Where is
What it is and where it is
A typical early medieval village in the hinterland of Imperia rises among the winding hills of the Ligurian foothills. A group of houses very close together create an inextricable web of carruggi, or narrow alleys typical of all the towns in the region. Moving away from the town we come to the Santurario from which there is a magnificent view of the town and the terraces of olive trees and other crops that surround it.
Why it is special
Among the countless narrow carruggi, which alternate with wide streets or squares, are hidden treasures that have remained hidden for centuries among the silent stone walls of historic buildings. First among them is "The Ancient Municipal Oven," in use since the first half of the 16th century. Not only that... from the church square it is easy to reach the "Museum of Oil and Peasant Civilization," which tells of another centuries-old tradition of the place.
Not to be missed
For those who really want to get to the heart of the local food and wine culture, it is good to know that in addition to the renowned olive oil, in Airole, as in other municipalities of the Ligurian hinterland, there is another typical specialty, a fruit of the earth: snails. Usually in the autumn months (last year was October 6) there is the "Snail Festival," where this traditionally important as well as controversial dish is rediscovered, now considered a poor dish, now a refined and elite food, especially in neighboring France.
A bit of history
We meet an old man, sitting on a bench, on Republic Street. He wears a black beret on his head and looks at the olive trees, as if they were the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on. He smiles, caught in emotion. Then he notices our presence. "The plants you are photographing I grew," he says, proud of himself. And how could he not be? Besides being majestic and beautiful, they are the fruit of the work of entire generations and one of the main sources of the village's economic livelihood. Airole's history is one made up of simple men, mostly farmers and cultivators.
Curiosities
Airole is not only the stone village and its dense carruggi. On the other side of the municipality, far from other buildings, stands the Sanctuary of Madonna delle Grazie. In addition to having been an important place of worship over the centuries, it is important because old mule tracks, once known as "the oil and salt road," branch off from here, from which old watchtowers and characteristic country cottages can be glimpsed.
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