Family Nibbles

Antonio and Rosa would recognize Roccatagliata today. The church and many of the buildings are those that they knew. Perhaps they lived in one of those buildings.

Demographics

Roccatagliata’s population is around 50 people. At its peak in 1800s, there were about 200.

Today there are just a handful of family households with 3 or more people. Most households have 1 or 2 inhabitants.

There are 85 buildings in the village, most built either before 1919 or between WWI and WWII. Some of the residential units are vacation homes.

Church and festivals

The Church of San Lorenzo is still the center of village activities. The village hosts two popular annual festivals – the Forty Potato Festival and the Festival of San Lorenzo.

Economy

Tourism has become popular. Besides the festivals, there are hiking trails and biking routes in the surrounding mountains.

The surrounding rural villages host some tourist sites, and there are numerous old stone bridges on the mountain roads.

Visitors tour the Roccatagliata Castle archaeological site and the Tomb of Roccatagliata.

Roccatagliata Castle

Even when the Fieschis regained power of the feud of Roccatagliata in 1495, they didn’t rebuild the castle. Maybe there wasn’t time, for the family lost much of its power after the failed conspiracy by Gian Luigi Fieschi in 1547.

The castle ruins remain today as an archaeological park for study and tourism.

Excavation has allowed the discovery of the ancient walls, the rooms carved into the rock and paved, fragments of ceramics and plaster.

Wikipedia – Roccatagliata Castle

Much of the stone from the razed castle was used in the construction of other buildings in Roccatagliata.

Street views

Still Pensas and Gardellas

While perusing the Google Street Views, I came across my favorite. On the posting board outside the church, the posters advertise life events for Pensas and Gardellas. Our relatives still live there.

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Sources

• Image – Roccatagliata panorama – Wikipedia – https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roccatagliata
• Image – Buildings in Roccatagliata – The Village of Roccatagliata – http://italia.indettaglio.it/eng/liguria/genova_neirone_roccatagliata.html
• Image – Festival of San Lorenzo – Genova Città Metropolitana – https://fuorigenova.cittametropolitana.genova.it/content/san-lorenzo-roccatagliata
• Image – Roccatagliata Castle – Italiano: Ruderi del castello dei Fieschi di Roccatagliata, Neirone, Liguria, Italia – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roccatagliata_(Neirone)-castello_Fieschi4.jpg
• Quotation – Roccatagliata Castle ruins – Wikipedia – Roccatagliata Castle – https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castello_di_Roccatagliata
• Images – Street Views – Google Maps – 2011
• Music – https://www.FesliyanStudios.com