Tigullio in love: La Cervara and Castello Brown
Portofino and the Tigullio
There are unique and unforgettable places, just like one’s first love. And in the Tigullio region, you cannot miss the Cervara and Castello Brown, where the enchantment of the landscape is combined with architecture. It is no coincidence that these are two of the most popular and valued wedding sites. Lovers come from halfway around the world to get married in this enchanting place. So it is worth taking the Rapallo motorway exit and continuing in the direction of Santa Margherita: having passed the elegant seaside town, you can take your first stop.
La Cervara
The Abbot Lanfranco di San Siro and the Archbishop of Genoa Guido Scetten, who founded the abbey in 1364, must have been lovers of beauty. Indeed, they could not have chosen a better place. The itinerary, in this place of enchantment, starts from the 17th-century access portal to the monastery, from which the gaze can sweep over the entire gulf of Tigullio. You can enter the chapel passing through the “little door of the Monks” protected by marble and slate lion sculptures.
A garden of enchantment
From here you can reach the upper garden, reorganized by the Trappists, which boasts sixty jasmine-covered pillars and a pergola of bougainvillea;the terrace overlooks the beautiful Italian-style monumental garden - a rare example in Liguria - and from here you can enjoy a spectacular view of the coast, from the Cinque Terre to the promontory of Portofino. Among the various species are colourful strelitzias, citrus plants, oleanders and Aleppo pines, a centuries-old pepper tree and pink capers.
Towards Portofino
If you still have not had enough of so much beauty, get back into your car and follow the signs for Portofino. Park your car and walk past the famous small square to climb up to Castello Brown, a unique location in the middle of the Portofino bay, overlooking the legendary “small square” and surrounded by the most prestigious villas of the international jet set. The lush terrace juts vertically above the village - as if flying over it in a helicopter - is a unique terrace for those who want to fall in love or those who already have.
