During your stay you may choose to spend your day at the beach in Lerici, Tellaro or Marinella; visit the Cinque Terre – today a world-famous travel destination – or Portovenere, a beautiful pearl on the sea; explore Tuscany and its historic cities or the town of Luni and the remains of its Roman amphitheatre; stop and relax on a beautiful, quiet meadow and sunbathe surrounded by sequoias, or read a good book in the shade beneath their branches and enjoy the peace and silence of the place. In addition to all these beauties, this area is also the birthplace of a wine that is increasingly dominating both the domestic and global market: Vermentino. Its origins date back many centuries, as far back as the time of the Maritime Republics – when Genoa dominated the Tyrrhenian Sea and imposed its customs and knowledge across its territory. These included the Vermentino grape, which the Genoese dominators spread throughout the “Genoese basin” stretching from Liguria, Tuscany and Sardinia to Corsica and the French Riviera. Our own Vermentino encapsulates all of the best qualities and distinctive features of this wine.
During the High Middle Ages, the area was under the jurisdiction of the Luni Diocese and stretched from the borders of the Genoa Diocese all the way to the Lucca Diocese. The Via Francigena, an ancient pilgrim route connecting the City of Rome to all destinations in the Holy Roman Empire, ran right through it and today a few stretches are still marked by ancient ruins, villages and castles, a very common sight in the area and a testament to the ancient history of our land. These ancient villages were deliberately built on high ground in order to control the access roads, which were often travelled by hostile armies, and prepare in good time to defend the fortified village. One of these is Arcola, which dates back to the year 1000 and is a delightful discovery for anyone who chooses to visit it.
