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Genovesato (Genoese area) - Turismo in Provincia di Genova

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22<br />

><br />

GENOVESATO<br />

TRACES OF HISTORY<br />

History of the valleys<br />

The lands of the Tavola Bronzea. In 1506,<br />

Agost<strong>in</strong>o Pedemonte found, <strong>in</strong> the Pernecco river<br />

bed at Pedemonte <strong>di</strong> Serra Riccò, the mysterious<br />

Tavola Bronzea, or Bronze Tablet. It was a bronze<br />

plaque dat<strong>in</strong>g back to 117 B.C., with a Lat<strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong>scription of a rul<strong>in</strong>g released by the Roman<br />

Senate regard<strong>in</strong>g a <strong>di</strong>spute for land boundaries<br />

between the Genuates and the Veiturii-Langenses,<br />

Ligurian tribes who at that time lived <strong>in</strong> the<br />

Polcevera valley and on the coast. The chance f<strong>in</strong>d<br />

was despatched to Genoa, after which it was<br />

housed <strong>in</strong> Palazzo Ducale, and later transferred to<br />

the mayor's chambers <strong>in</strong> Tursi Palace. S<strong>in</strong>ce 1993<br />

it has been on <strong>di</strong>splay <strong>in</strong> the Archaeological<br />

Museum of Villa Durazzo-Pallavic<strong>in</strong>i <strong>in</strong> Pegli. This<br />

precious f<strong>in</strong>d is the first and oldest historical<br />

document of the Polcevera Valley.<br />

White Gold, the salt paths. As a fundamental<br />

<strong>in</strong>gre<strong>di</strong>ent of human nutrition, <strong>in</strong> the past, salt<br />

was more precious than gold. Roads were<br />

constructed to facilitate the salt trade between<br />

Genoa and the Po Valley. One of these roads<br />

went from Genoa to Sant’Olcese, through to<br />

Casella and Crocefieschi, cross<strong>in</strong>g the Monte<br />

Cravi ridge, and pass<strong>in</strong>g through Mongiard<strong>in</strong>o,<br />

Rocchetta and Fabbrica <strong>in</strong> the <strong>area</strong> of Tortona. An<br />

The Tavola Bronzea<br />

alternative route, once hav<strong>in</strong>g left Genoa, crossed<br />

the Bisagno and the Trebbia Valleys. It passed<br />

Gorreto, and cont<strong>in</strong>ued downhill to Bobbio and<br />

Piacenza to f<strong>in</strong>ally reach Pavia. The routes were<br />

controlled by the lords of the towns they passed<br />

through, who guaranteed their safe passage <strong>in</strong><br />

exchange for a levy paid by the merchants.<br />

Wanderers, merchants, pilgrims, artisans and street<br />

artists brought not only food, but also enriched the<br />

culture, <strong>in</strong>troduc<strong>in</strong>g alternate lifestyles, tra<strong>di</strong>tions<br />

and legends. In order to avoid taxes, the precious salt<br />

was often covered with layers of anchovies. In fact,<br />

salted anchovies, called pan do mâ, or pesce dei<br />

poveri (poor man's fish), was a staple of the Ligurian<br />

and Piedmontese <strong>di</strong>ets.<br />

Ancient devotions <strong>in</strong> the Abbey of San Siro of<br />

Struppa. The Bene<strong>di</strong>ct<strong>in</strong>e Abbey of San Siro of<br />

Struppa, a me<strong>di</strong>eval church, <strong>in</strong> Genoa's north<br />

eastern region, is strategically positioned between<br />

the Bisagno and the Scrivia Valleys, the Scoffera river<br />

and the Trebbia Valley. Its name comes from Siro,<br />

bishop of Genoa, born <strong>in</strong> the neighbour<strong>in</strong>g village of<br />

Molassana <strong>in</strong> the IVth century. The Abbey was built<br />

<strong>in</strong> the protoromanesque style, <strong>in</strong> the XIth century. Its<br />

façade <strong>di</strong>splays a beautiful rose; the belltower has<br />

three w<strong>in</strong>dows and hemispherical apses capped <strong>in</strong>

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