San Cristoforo

Nestled on the plateau overlooking the Lemme

Leaving Gavi toward the outlet on the lower Val d'Orba, the Vallemme still has a lot of surprises. On the left, at the top of an original hill with its flat and elongated shape, the whole cultivated with vineyards, you have San Cristoforo, ancient medieval village.

The village is all grouped around the castle, dominated by a beautiful tower with a walkway.
A moat surrounds the fence wall built with stones retrieved by old roman monuments.

The church, built in the walls of the castle, was rebuilt and enlarged several times: the current dates back to the early eighteenth century and is very valuable for the elegance of the friezes and the recently restored stucco, real triumph of the best Baroque Genovese.

Formerly S. Cristoforo had joined the Church of Santa Maria in val Lemme together with Gavi; then when in Gavi was built St. James, and it became a parish, the two share the saints: St. Christopher, which protected the ferries between the two banks of river Lemme to those of the village on the hill, to San Cristoforo; St. James, patron saint of travelers and pilgrims, to Gavi.
 

Country full of memories and history, unfortunately marred by false-rustic architectures that have altered the admirable balance, S. Cristoforo is a very special village. From 1812 the Parish belongs to the Curia of Acqui, for which opted Spinola Family, the owners of the castle which also reserve to themself the singular privilege of appointment and removal of the pastor, a right which is still exercised by the owners of the castle. From the hill of S. Cristoforo you can see the large, verdant landscape of low Vallemme, from Gavi to ​​Basaluzzo. The downstream, immediately after the meanders around the Pieve, widens. On the right the hill is still cultivated with vineyards, especially in the nice area around Rovereto. But frequent and picturesque are also the spots formed by oaks, acacias and other deciduous trees. Among the green are still hiding villas and stately homes, including the eighteenth-century Giustiniana, isolated uphill, in a scenic setting, including two-flight stairs and rows of poplars. By Bisio Estate, where the Val Lemme begins to transform to plain, on the right you see the Guasco Prince's home-farm, the family who once had great prestige in Gavi and retaining in St. James a fifteenth-century sarcophagus of admirable workmanship.

Oltre, s'incontrano Francavilla e poi Basaluzzo. Ma qui la val Lemme perde il suo carattere appenninico e muore dolcemente nella val d'Orba, in mezzo a pioppeti, campi di girasole e gran turco.

In addition, we'll meet Francavilla and then Basaluzzo. But here the val Lemme loses its character of Apennine and gently die in the Val d'Orba's plain, among poplar groves, sunflower and sweet corn fields.