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How to get there: Highway A7 (Genoa-Serravalle-Milan) exit at Arquata Scrivia or Serravalle Scrivia.
Gavi has a very rich millenary history and it is an enchanting town situated on the hills beyond the mountain ridge.
The old town has numerous window shops and it is famous for its extraordinary Amaretti as well as its delicate white wine “Gavi” which is famous on an international scale. Its history narrates how the original site was an important trading and war center.
The origins of Gavi come from a legend that narrates how the Princess Gavia escaped with her lover from the king’s troops and that she decided to stop on the hill. And here is where a castle was built where its reign continued for many years.
There are Neolithic settlements and traces of Roman origins that highlight the strategic position of the town in the Lemme Valley. When the Empire fell, Gavi remained a Byzantine center and then it became part of the Franco territory. Around the year 1000 when Obertenghi came into possession the town lived moments of glory.
The marquisate of Alberto turned the feud into a great power. It was during those years that the legendary Federico I also known as Barbarossa stayed as a guest in one of the towers of the castle. Then Gavi began to slowly and sadly decline up until the annexation of the Genoa Republic and then it returned to alternating vicissitudes to the viscounts of Milan up until the union of Italy.
The Parish Church of Lemme on Via of St. Cristoforo has a central Romantic nave and an apse that has two magnificent frescos of Byzantine importance. The Portals of the main Corso are in stone and this indicates a innovative architectonic decision. The Parish Church of St. Giacomo has an awesome stone façade. Among noble palazzos and rich Oratory’s there is a mule track that leads to the Fort.
It is made out of local stones and it was built to guard the town and it has a long history of battles in order to be freed form Genoa. The Napoleonic troops didn’t destroy the Fort and later it was used as a prison. Today the Fort is still standing in its splendid military complex.
Gavi has genuine gastronomical specialties that delights its tourists and in a lively piazza when you have a moment of spare time you can eat, talk, eat ice cream, or local deserts.
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