Trip to the Fort of Gavi and the Ovada Area

Let’s head to the Alessandria region, in southern Piedmont, where Ligurian influences start to become more prominent.

Gavi Ligure is a municipality with very ancient origins located in the Lemme Valley, in the province of Alessandria, in the Upper Monferrato region of Piedmont.

The town has retained its name “Ligure” to this day, as it was under the rule of the Republic of Genoa for a long period. It is recognized as an “Orange Flag” destination by the Italian Touring Club and is especially renowned for the production of Cortese di Gavi DOCG, one of the most famous white wines in the world. This wine pairs excellently with white fish dishes, as well as with smoked salmon, oysters, clams, and prawns.

The rolling hills of the Gavi area take their name from the town itself, which lies between the districts of Tortona and Ovada, near the border between Liguria and Piedmont.

In the past, Gavi was completely surrounded by walls, remnants of which can still be seen today in certain sections. Of that ancient defensive system, only Il Portino remains — a limestone gate dating back to the 13th century that once served as one of the town's main entrances.

Numerous monuments and historically significant sites can be found both in the town and in the surrounding area.

The Parish Church of San Giacomo Maggiore was originally built in Romanesque style and was later modified in the 17th and 18th centuries, with further restoration carried out in the 20th century. The church features three naves and is topped by a tiburium, which also serves as the bell tower.

The Fort of Gavi rises dramatically on a rocky cliff overlooking the old town. It is a massive stone fortress built by the Genoese from the 12th century onward for defensive purposes, incorporating a pre-existing medieval castle. The fort could accommodate a garrison of over a thousand soldiers, tasked with defending the surrounding territory. Once part of the Republic of Genoa, it stood along the Via Postumia, the ancient Roman consular road connecting Genoa to Lower Piedmont and Lombardy. Today, the Fort of Gavi serves as a museum.

Particularly notable is the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Guard, which stands on the Turchini hill in the area surrounding the town. Built in 1861 in the shape of a Greek cross, it was constructed by the people of Gavi and nearby villages. Inside, the sanctuary features three altars: the main altar, which holds a wooden statue of Our Lady of the Guard carved in 1746; one dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus; and another to the Marriage of the Virgin Mary.

The Gavi region is perfect for embracing the concept of slow tourism, allowing visitors to peacefully take in a landscape filled with castles, vineyards, and woods.

In the culinary realm, Gavi’s ravioli are especially renowned. Considered one of the oldest types of pasta in Italy, they boast a legendary origin, said to have been created in Gavi between the 12th and 13th centuries. These ravioli are traditionally prepared following an ancient recipe and are typically served in three ways: al tocco (with a meat sauce), in scodella (drenched in red wine), or in chicken broth without any sauce, simply drained.

This entire region is a paradise for lovers of nature, good food, and fine wine.

The Ovadese is a hilly area in Lower Piedmont and Upper Monferrato, located in the province of Alessandria between the cities of Alessandria and Genoa. It is particularly rich in vineyards, and its most prestigious product is Dolcetto d’Ovada DOC wine.

The main town is Ovada, which enjoys a privileged location surrounded by hills at the confluence of the Stura di Ovada and Orba streams, just a few kilometers from the Ligurian Sea. In Roman times, it held a strategic position for trade between Liguria and the Po Valley. Like Gavi, Ovada also boasts numerous monuments and places of historical interest.

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption is the city’s parish church. Built in the 18th century in Baroque style, it features a Latin cross floor plan with three naves.

The Church of the Immaculate Conception was built as a vow to the Virgin Mary by the people of Ovada to end the scourge of the plague. The first stone was laid on June 10, 1640. The church and adjoining convent are entrusted to the Order of Friars Minor.

The Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, with its Latin cross layout and three naves, was founded in 1481 by Dominican Father Giovanni Cagnasso of Taggia, together with the adjacent convent. It is one of the oldest churches in Ovada, though today it presents a modernized appearance due to renovations.

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Guard is located in the hamlet of Grillano Guardia and was built in 1661, thanks to funding from Giovanni Francesco Serra, Marquis of Strevi. Over the centuries, the sanctuary underwent several renovations. Built in stone, it features a gabled facade. Above the main entrance is a rose window, topped by a niche housing a statue of the Madonna with Child. The bell tower is located at the rear of the building. The church has a polygonal nave with a barrel-vaulted ceiling, a floor decorated with geometric patterns, and two side marble altars. Stucco decorations and friezes adorn various interior elements, including the pulpit.

The Sanctuary of Saint Paul of the Cross is located in Ovada, constructed in 1984 and inaugurated in 1988. The building features a semicircular floor plan and exposed reinforced concrete walls.

The town also boasts many historic buildings, among which the most notable are:

• Palazzo Spinola, built in the 17th century by the noble Genoese Spinola family, now owned by the Piarist Fathers’ community;

• The birthplace of Saint Paul of the Cross, declared a national monument in 1918, which preserves many original structures and contains several relics of the Saint;

• The Lercaro Castle, dating back to the 13th century, once owned by the Marquis Lercaro, today abandoned and evocative in its ghostly decay.

The oldest part of Ovada retains a distinctly Ligurian character, as it is built around a defensive system, with painted houses and very narrow alleyways (carruggi).