Bridge between Nascio and Cassagna

The Bridge of Nascio: An Arch Between History and Legend

Suspended between two rocky spurs, the single-arch bridge spans the gorge of the Novelli stream with striking, scenic grandeur. This mule track connects Nascio and Cassagna, two villages that tell centuries of history. Nascio, perched in a panoramic and defensive position, was home to the castle of the Lords of Nascio, who between the 11th and 13th centuries exercised jurisdiction over the parishes of Sestri Levante and Varese. Cassagna, halfway up the slope, perhaps an ancient outpost for the Arimanni in the 7th century, later developed as a medieval village under the feudal rights of the same Lords.

A Bridge Between Historical Era and Devotion

The bridge, probably built in the 18th century, bears at the center of its arch an epigraph dated 1766, with the names Giovanni M. Francesco Caietano and Michaeli Angelo Cambiasus. Nearby, a small stone shrine depicts the Madonna and Child, a silent witness to the popular faith that has accompanied generations of travelers and inhabitants. Its placement between two steep rocks makes the crossing both spectacular and evocative, suspended between nature and human ingenuity.

The Legend That Carved a Memory

Between reality and myth, the bridge also preserves a romantic story. It is said that a young sculptor, crossing the bridge, fell in love with a young woman seated on the parapet with a child in her arms. Unable to meet her again, the memory of the woman remained so vivid that it led him to carve a bas-relief and place it on the bridge, carrying it on his back from Lavagna. Thus, art merged with memory, transforming the bridge into a place where history, legend, and landscape beauty converge.