Cervo
Located in front of the sea, along the final stretch of the Cervo stream that flows on the Dianese Gulf, the village of Cervo is striking for its position on the slopes of some of the hills in front of the sea, for the colors of its houses and for its suggestive profile. His name (Sèrvu in ligure) derives from the latin word Servo, 'to offer services'. Already inhabited in prehistoric times, written history stabilizes in the 13th century, when the Clavesana marquises, built the Castle of the Clavesana, incorporating an antecedent Romanesque tower. The castle is perfectly preserved and today also seat of the ethnographic museum of western Liguria. The hamlet has its original and evocative characteristics of the medieval village, characterized by antiques buildings, noble palaces, narrow alleys where you can find artisans and art shops, arches and stairways that overlook the sea, transforming into frames of that wonderful blue in front of us. Upstream of the country the hills are rich in pinewoods and olive groves, travelled by paths silent.
Even on the table, Cervo has remained faithful to its traditions and its history: here it still makes the oil with the ancient technique of cold pressing, the wine is produced with the typical grapes (Pigato and Vermentino) and the dishes are cooked with the fishes of the day. Do not miss the concave facade, the symbol of the town, of the Church of San Giovanni Battista (17th – 18th century), which overlooks Corallini's Square, the beating heart of the village. Cervo is very known for the International Festival of Chamber Music, that takes place every year in July and August, where the greatest artists of Europe offer concerts under the moonlight, by exploiting the acoustic potentials of the square.
Cervo is officially classed as one of the 'most beautiful villages of Italy'.The abundant flowers and the colourful houses make Cervo less 'austere' than many medieval villages.
Clavesana Castle
Clavesana Castle is located on a at the top of the village. The castle is the oldest building in the village. The oldest part of the castle is the century stone tower, that was incorporated in the 12th century fortress. The stone slabs from this tower are incorporated in the castle and can still be seen in the outside walls, near the sea. The church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria was incorporated in the 17th century.
the 18th century onwards the castle no longer served a military purpose so it was converted to hold the village hospital. The Castle hosts Museum of the Ponente Ligure (West Liguria) with tools and everyday objects of the country life and a permanent exhibition about Ligurian women. You can also see a fresco of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria here.
The puzzle
Solve the puzzle ant find the cache at N43 55.64A E008 06.90B
Question 1
The castle was built by
The romans (A=1)
The notorious pirate Barbarossa (A=3)
The Bishop of Cervo (A=5)
The lords of Clavesana (A=7)
The people of cervo – it’s actually the first autocratic commune in Italy( A=9)
Question 2
What famous event is held in Cervo every year in summer ?
Liguaria Geocaching Mega Event (B-=7)
The shortest day of the year festival (B-=8)
Wordchampionschip clifdiving(B-=0)
Wordchampionschip climbing (B-=2)
Gay pride Liguria (B-=4)
International chamber music festival (B=6)
The cache
Look for a small green waterproof cylinder. Put the cache back the way you found it (or better if it was visible). It can be crowdy nearby so use stealth when needed.
Happy caching!
Marrakesj
