Toirano

Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club

In ancient times, Toirano was a Roman settlement and Byzantine fortification site. Even today, you can still see traces of the old walls, towers and medieval houses and loggias.

The sights to see here are the 14th-century three-arch bridge over the river Varatella, the Church of St Martin with its 14th-century bell tower, and Palazzo del Carretto, which is home to the Varatella Valley Museum of History, Culture and Traditions. Here you can see a collection of tools relating to farming, craftsmanship and domestic activities from days gone by.

Not to be missed, just over 1 km from the village, are the caves of Toirano, a network of 150 prehistoric caves open to the public.

As for food, the local specialities are the "zemin", a traditional winter soup, a pumpkin cake known as "zeraria", jam-filled pastries called "gobeletti", and the soft nougat.