The Blue Dragonfly Waterfall and the nearby Ferriera Waterfall are in the hinterland of Finale Ligure (Savona) and more precisely in the municipality of Rialto. Let’s discover them together and learn how to get there.
The Blue Dragonfly Waterfall
Immersed in the nature of the hinterland of Finale Ligure, the Blue Dragonfly Waterfall features emerald green waters and crystalline lakes. The name of this waterfall comes from the colony of Calopterigidi, or blue dragonflies, that live in the surrounding woods. The Pora stream feeds the waterfall, creating a 50-foot drop.
The Blue Dragonfly Waterfall is a controlled location, and access to it requires passing through the AgriBike Camping area. Access requires a symbolic contribution to keep the place and the path clean and tidy. The path is short and suitable for everyone. The Blue Dragonfly Waterfall is not the only one in the area. In fact, in the surrounding area, there are other waterfalls formed by two streams that flow into the gorge.
How can I reach the Blue Dragonfly Waterfall?
From the beginning of the trail, in just 5 minutes you reach the stream. Following the signs, you can easily reach the waterfall after having crossed the watercourse twice. You must scrupulously follow the rules in the waterfall area. Access is prohibited from October 1st to April 30th; you cannot make excessive noise, and you cannot catch dragonflies. You can bathe, but only without using shampoo and soap. Obviously, you cannot leave waste.
Ferriera Waterfall
Return to the main road at Agribike Camping Finale Ligure on Via Ferriere 17 and drive for approximately 1 mile. Once you reach a curve, you will see the signs for the Ferriera Waterfall. There are additional waterfalls on the Porro stream, located in the Casa Saccone area. Indeed, the waterfall plunges into the woods, adjacent to the ancient Ferriera, an ironworks situated along the trail “Sentiero dell’Argento.” (Silver Trail).
After traveling along a dirt road and a path, you reach the Ferriera Waterfall. You can also spot blue dragonflies here. The natural waterfall is 4 feet high and forms a deep pool with emerald green water.
The “Sentiero dell’Argento”
Near the Ferriera waterfall, there is also the “Sentiero dell’Argento.” As its name implies, this path follows the traces of the precious mineral once extracted in the area. In fact, the path links the ancient Purin Mines, located on the Pora River, also known as “Purin” in the Ligurian dialect, with the ironworks building that separated the mineral from the waste material.
Next to the ironworks, in ancient times, there were small basins to collect the water and a two-wheeled mill to crush the large blocks and reduce them to blocks for processing. Exploitation of the mines likely began in the fifteenth century. The ironworks almost certainly date back to the same period. Once the mines ran out, the ironworks processed iron that arrived from the island of Elba in the eighteenth century. The ironworks continued to operate until the end of the nineteenth century.
Where is Rialto?
The Blue Dragonfly Waterfall is in the municipality of Rialto, in the upper valley of the Pora stream. The municipality, scattered with few inhabitants, features hamlets situated halfway up the hill, encircled by olive groves and vineyards. Our location is in western Liguria’s Savona province.
The history of Rialto
In ancient times, the small village of Rialto belonged to Bonifacio del Vasto. Around 1091, the town passed as a fief to the local Del Carretto family. The new lords united Rialto in the territory of the Marquisate of Finale. With the latter, Rialto shared the historical and political events. Following various passages, the town returned to the Republic of Genoa in 1713.
The ironworks and the furnaces
On Mount Bric Gettina, in ancient times there were the silver-bearing galena mines, the Porrino mines. They were already active in the feudal period, when the Del Carretto marquises exploited them to obtain silver. In the past centuries, the economy of Rialto was mainly based on chestnuts, the Ferriera, and two furnaces present in the area. From the 18th century to the mid-19th century, the ferriera processed silver. Later, as previously mentioned, the ferriera served as a processing facility for iron that arrived by ship from the Island of Elba. The furnaces were present in Rialto and Vene, the two main inhabited centers of this scattered municipality.
The best preserved furnace is located in the Furnace del Mulino area, near the Pora stream. It included the warehouse for the finished products, the feeding oven, and the brick baking pit. The furnace supported a small local trade that was undoubtedly active before 1718, the year when the furnace was first written about. The furnace produced tavelle, light tiles used to create area-specific ceilings, along with various other types of tiles, roof tiles, and bricks.
Things to see in Rialto
Apart from the Blue Dragonfly Waterfall, Rialto offers a variety of other attractions.
The churches of Rialto
The church of San Pietro is one of the two parishes in the municipality. We do not know the exact date of its foundation, but the first written mention in historical sources is from 1356. However, the current appearance of the building derives from the eighteenth-century renovation. The bell tower dates back to the thirteenth or fourteenth century. It has a Gothic style that reveals the medieval origins of the place of worship. Artists from the second half of the eighteenth and the first half of the nineteenth centuries frescoed the interiors. The altars are in Baroque style, while some stucco decorations show Rococo style. Finally, on the walls of the presbytery, we find references to the neoclassical style.
San Lorenzo in Vene is one of the other Rialto churches in existence. Unfortunately, we have very little information about its history, especially about the foundation and construction of the building. In fact, we’ve lost the necessary documents. The facade and the bell tower are designed in a baroque style, with Rococo stucco accents.
The Oratories
The Oratory of the Saints Sebastian and Charles is next to the church of Rialto and the seat of the brotherhood of San Sebastiano. Probably built on the foundations of a pre-existing oratory, the building dates back to 1754. It shows a simple baroque style. Inside, the internal pillars have capitals with stucco acanthus leaves. The facade shows the rose window and a now faded fresco above the entrance.
The Oratory of San Bernardo is near the church of San Lorenzo, in the Vene area. It is the seat of the brotherhood of the same name. We have news of this building from the second half of the 16th century. The oratory should instead date back in its current appearance to 1726. Once more, the oratory features a straightforward baroque style. The facade has a quadrilobate rose window; the door shows a stucco bas-relief with San Bernardo and the devil in chains.
Museum of Rural Civilization—Rialto
The Museum of Rural Civilization is in the Oratory of the Saints Sebastiano and Carlo di Rialto. It is a collection of tools and instruments for working in the fields and in the popular traditions of Val Pora.
The museum is open upon request and is free. So, the visit includes three sections: kitchen furniture, transport tools, and tools for working the land and the fields.
What can be seen around the Blue Dragonfly Waterfall?
There are other attractions in the immediate vicinity of the Blue Dragonfly Waterfall.
Central Fort of Melogno
The Central Fort is a defensive building, now abandoned. It controlled the hill of the same name, between the Bormida valley and the hinterland of Finale Ligure, in the province of Savona. The fort is in the municipality of Calizzano, which borders the Blue Dragonfly Waterfall.
A moat entirely surrounds this polygonal-shaped military complex, which dates back to the end of the nineteenth century. Beyond the main barracks, there is a long corridor, still partly visitable.
Barbottina Forest
Separated from the Blue Dragonfly Waterfall by a valley, the Barbottina Forest is a 553-acre beech forest in the area between the Colle del Melogno and the Giogo di Giustenice. Some beech trees reach 165 feet in height. The Barbottina is one of the most beautiful beech forests in Italy.
You can only reach it on foot by following the Alta via dei Monti Liguri trail, which connects Giogo di Giustenice with Colle del Melogno. Inside the forest, there are other easy-to-follow trails.
Blue Dragonfly Waterfall Gallery
Rialto’s Blue Dragonfly Waterfall video
The Blue Dragonfly Waterfall map
Rialto weather
Meteo Rialto
Tourist information offices in Rialto
I.A.T. Rialto Tourist Information and Reception Office, at the Town Hall in Via Melogno 34. Contact:
Tel. +39 019/65114
Finale Outdoor Base, in Strada per Gorra, 10. Open every day from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Contacts phone: 338.7469962 – Email: iat.outdoor@visitfinaleligure.it
