The ring San Terenzo – Trebiano – Pugliola – Venere Azzurra on the ancient flax road.

Today we will tell you about this splendid route which from the seaside village of San Terenzo, in the eastern part of the Gulf of Poets, climbs up to the town of Trebiano and then descends to Pugliola and the Venere Azzurra beach.

The trek starts from the seafront of San Terenzo with path no. 456, which, passing by the cemetery of the seaside village, climbs up the hill of olive trees until it reaches the splendid town of Solaro, from where you can enjoy an extraordinary view of the bay of Lerici and the Palmaria – Tino – Tinetto archipelago.

Crossing the town of Solaro with path no. 455 joins the n. 472 known as the “Bozo del Lino” path, a link to reach the Alta Via del Golfo and then the villages of Arcola and Canarbino. This route owes its name to the wetlands (“Bozo” means puddle in Ligurian dialect) used for the maceration of the flax plant, which in ancient times was grown right here, constituting an important source of income for the populations of these places.

At the intersection with the AVG, turn right to continue on the path no. 413 for Trebiano, which in this section coincides with the paved military road which from the village of Pitelli climbs up to the Canarbino fort, one of the many 19th-century outposts strategically placed to defend the Gulf of Poets.

Trebiano is an enchanting medieval village located on a watershed that overlooks the Gulf of Poets on one side in the Lerici section and the alluvial plain of the Magra river on the other. The main buildings are the castle, built on the highest part of the hill on which the town stands, dating back to the 10th century, with corner towers incorporated into the imposing walls, from which you can enjoy a unique glimpse of the sea, hills and river and the parish church of San Michele Arcangelo built in the 16th century on a previous Gothic building inside which a wooden crucifix dating back to 1456 is displayed.

From Trebiano then along the stretch of paved road that descends towards the hamlet of Cerri with the ancient Church of Sant’Anna, you rejoin the AVG which in this stretch crosses the ancient town of Pugliola, whose splendid gem is made up from Villa Rezzola.

Villa Rezzola is an ancient and elegant eighteenth-century residence immersed in an immense and luxuriant terraced park, which belonged to noble English families who hosted the famous poets and writers of the time, greatly inspired in their literary works by the beauty of the Gulf of Poets which from here it can be seen in its entirety from the castle of Lerici to the church of San Pietro in Portovenere.

From Pugliola with the path n. 458 you return to the seacoast crossing the splendid hill of olive and citrus trees which frames the sandy beach of Venere Azzurra where you can enjoy a well-deserved rest at the end of the excursion.