The scent of lavender blends with the colours of the forest: rhododendrons and rockroses, chestnuts and oaks. These slip gently into landscapes where vines embrace olive trees. Solid stone bridges, steadfast guardians of ancient trails, fortify a panorama already teeming with mysterious medieval villages. Labyrinths of silent carrugi hold dense testimonies to the past—a past filled with simple yet intense flavours: Taggiasca extra virgin olive oil, Badalucco beans, the crisp bread of Triora, or the savoury loaves of Carpasio. Chestnuts, alpine cheeses, and the rich Ormeasco wine...

The valley holds tales of witches and inquisitions, of horror, summary trials, and torture, but also stories of profound devotion and great humility. Hidden chapels among the leaves, ancient menhirs of uncertain age, or improvised Celtic altars scattered like trellises in the greenery. Everywhere, stone arches make these small villages imposing, standing in contrast against the sky like rainbows anchored to the earth.

Crystal-clear waters flow through the Argentina torrent, chasing each other through rugged gorges in a dazzling display of light—raw in its splendour. The artistic richness is evident in vibrant frescoes, such as those at the Madonna della Montà in Molini di Triora. In the magnificence of golden polyptychs and the 14th-century panel by Taddeo di Bartolo in Triora’s parish church... and so much more.

Certainly, there is far too much to capture in just a few lines. Perhaps not even a great book could contain it all.

Valle Argentina: a story difficult to write, improbable to read. But experiencing it in person? That’s already a good beginning...