Mortola: Trails to San Fruttuoso and the Traditional History of Silk Damasks

Hiking trails with various destinations

The Percorso 2 hiking trail begins in Mortola and ends in San Fruttuoso. The route takes 3 hours and 15 minutes and is classified as difficulty level E. The stated time refers to the route as a whole; a separate timeframe must be allowed for breaks or additional trail sections. For day planning, the entire route between Mortola and San Fruttuoso must be taken into account; the time required for additional trail sections is not included.

Mortola is also connected to two other routes. The route from San Rocco to San Fruttuoso via Sella Toca passes through Mortola. A second route from San Rocco to the batteries and Semaforo Nuovo passes through the village on both the outward and return journeys. San Rocco is the common starting point, while San Fruttuoso and the batteries and Semaforo Nuovo represent different destinations. The choice of route therefore depends on the destination: San Fruttuoso or the batteries and Semaforo Nuovo.

La Mortola at the edge of the forest

The Sentiero Ruta di Camogli San Fruttuoso provides another point of orientation. It passes through La Mortola, a small, beautiful inhabited village. After La Mortola, the Sentiero continues through the forest. On this route, the transition from the inhabited section to the forest takes place at La Mortola. Anyone planning this trail should therefore take La Mortola into account before the subsequent forest section.

Getting there from the direction of Ruta and Camogli

Mortola can be reached via the road from Ruta and via a footpath that leads from the southeastern edge of Camogli through the valley of the Rio Gentile. This provides two different types of routes and starting directions for reaching the village. Ruta is the reference point for the road route; the footpath begins at the southeastern edge of Camogli and leads through the valley of the Rio Gentile. The choice between the road and the footpath therefore remains dependent on the respective starting direction.

Inhabited centres amid lush vegetation

Mortola and Galletti are small inhabited centres surrounded by the lush vegetation of Monte di Portofino. Castello Brown, a castle, is also located in the vicinity of Mortola. The vegetation of Monte di Portofino thus surrounds both inhabited centres, while Castello Brown, as a castle, is associated with the surroundings of Mortola.

A traditional textile history

According to tradition, two branches of a family in Mortola produced red silk damasks on their own looms; these fabrics were very popular in the 18th century. This tradition does not document any present-day production or current textile use of the village. The historical period referred to is the production and popularity of the fabrics in the 18th century.

Further places for planning your trip

Casella, Santo Stefano D'aveto, Leivi, Mignanego, Sanguineto, Borzonasca, Chiàvari and Favale Di Malvaro

To the broader travel overview: Genoa.