Portofino, Italy: Castello Brown and St. George
Above: Panorama of Portofino. © Blackfalcon / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0
This breathtaking view of Portofino (above) is seen from the Castello Brown House, a castle museum located high above this Italian Riviera harbor.
The castle’s location is suitable for harbor defense and appears to have been used for this purpose since the 15th century. According to the Record Office of Genoa, cannon batteries were built on the site in the 16th century. Military engineer Giovanni Maria Olgiati drew up plans for a full fortress circa 1554. The resulting castello was completed by 1557, and, in 1575, was instrumental in turning back an assault on the town by Giò Andrea Doria. The structure was enlarged from 1622 to 1644 and endured in this form for a century and a half. The castello was abandoned after the Congress of Vienna in 1815.
Portofino is the manifestation of “la dolce vita,” the sweet life of good taste, simplicity, quality, culture, and beauty. It lies on a rugged stretch of land named the Rivera di Levante, (upper riviera) in Liguria. The signature dish of the region is Basil Pesto, as simple, healthy, fresh, and green as the region. The video (below) shows riding into Portofino on a tour bus. We drove the thrilling three-mile winding road from Santa Margherita in a rented car with standard transmission (a good idea?.)
Basil Pesto Sauce
coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, peeled, diced, sautéed
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
½ cup grated Parmesan
lemon juice
Toast pine nuts and lightly sauté the garlic to lend a mild, nutty flavor to the sauce. Into a food processor, add the garlic, basil leaves, pine nuts, salt and pepper to taste. Pulse until chopped. With the food processor still running, slowly pour in ½ cup of olive oil until creamy. Transfer into a bowl and stir in ½ cup Parmesan. Serve over pasta, meat, or fish. Drizzle all with a squeeze of lemon juice.
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