Along the ancient path to Marenca road
In late spring, following the dirt road that leads from Lavina to Monte Guardiabella, after a few km, splendid rosebuds emerge from the brambles. A careful eye would also see domestic fruit trees and the remains of numerous houses, hidden by vegetation. Here stood the original town of Lavina, called Lavinella, abandoned, it is said, following a landslide.
The fifteenth-century Chapel of San Bernardo stands not too far from the remains of the town, along the route of the ancient road that connected the Giara di Rezzo Valley to Monte Guardiabella and Via Marenca. The entrance preceded by a small porch with stone seats served as a refuge for travelers. Its interior preserves the remains of frescoes including, on the altar, the representation of a village: it may be Cenova which is right at the other side of the valley.
Testo a cura di Nicola Ferrarese, immagini di Nicola Ferrarese e Claudio Cecchi