Badalucco

Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club

Badalucco, about ten kilometres from the coast, is surrounded by terraced hills and country trails, offering plenty of opportunities for hiking and walking. In the old town, the narrow streets are brightened up by the murals and ceramic art. The sights to see are the parish church of St Mary of the Assumption and St George, the Oratory of St Francis and the tiny 15th-century church of St Nicholas, perched on a hilltop with a panoramic view of the town. Thanks to the local passion for ceramics, the town now has a museum and workshop, the Badalucco Art Gallery, but the streets of the town themselves are an open-air museum filled with permanent installations of sculptures, plaques and plates all made from ceramics.

The typical specialities include the Badalucco bean (accredited by Slow Food) and known locally as the rundin. It is typically used in the preparation of zemin, a hearty bean soup made with meat and vegetables. The Taggiasca, an olive variety typical of this area, produces an excellent extra-virgin olive oil. Along with the sweet focaccia, a local speciality and quite rare for a country village, you can also find Stoccafissu a Baucogna, a dish of dried cod prepared according to an old local recipe. Salt cod is popular here as it is cheap and can be kept for a long time, making it easy for villagers living some distance from the sea to respect the days of abstinence from meat"di magro".

Every September, Badalucco re-enacts the Saracen assault (which was held at bay thanks to the stores of salt cod) during a festival of thanksgiving. Over the years, the name has changed to"Festival dello Stoccafisso alla badalucchese” in honour of the local dish.