Eugi Gufo's siteEugi Gufo

The most banal and logical criterion one could follow when choosing a new town to visit is its size: the larger it is, the more likely it is to contain interesting and beautiful things to see. Consequently, the opposite should also apply: the smaller a place is, the less interesting it should be. However, experience gained in the field has taught me — and hopefully not only me — that in some rare cases there are exceptions to this rule. And now I am going to tell you about one of those cases.
On the morning of 11 August 2022, while wandering around Camerata Cornello, I happened to notice a road sign pointing towards Portiera, a tiny hamlet of the rather large town of San Giovanni Bianco. According to the sign, the destination was just 900 metres away, so I thought I could easily walk that short stretch uphill and, in the worst-case scenario, at least enjoy some pleasant scenery. Instead, I found an absolutely beautiful little village, almost fairy-tale-like. It already looks like a ready-made film set.
Portiera is extremely small — essentially a square and two streets — yet it offers several details worth examining more closely. The square feels almost like a private courtyard: people are dressed casually, children are playing football, and there is even a ping-pong table…

Overlooking the square are two very charming and well-kept case di ringhiera: I would not have minded living in one of them (even though, obviously, I have no idea what they look like inside).

The houses opposite appear older and more «mountain-style». Also note the basketball hoop permanently installed there.

In one corner of the square there is even a barbecue area with a table and two side benches.

Given such an inviting square, curiosity naturally arises about what the narrow streets of the village might conceal.

This time, curiosity did not betray me: in just a few dozen seconds you reach another idyllic spot. Here we stand in front of the small church of San Francesco d’Assisi. It was closed when I arrived, but even being able to see it from the outside already felt like good fortune.

After just a few more seconds, you reach the outskirts of the village, which are mainly characterised by views of meadows and mountains. We will return to the meadows shortly; for now, let us focus on some human-made details.

For example, a simple bench placed in a truly beautiful setting:

Or agricultural tools hanging on the wall of one of the houses:

For some unexplained reason, the largest collection is displayed on a rustic building converted into a garage.

In a village this tiny, I did not expect to find a sundial as well (and one that is far more original and elaborate than many I have seen elsewhere).

Next to the doors of some old houses, you can also spot period doorbells (in some cases, they look as though they were stolen from cows).

The flower pots displayed outside the houses are often made from natural materials.

Even the public greenery is organised in a curious way: young trees and seasonal flowers are planted in the same «barrels».

The most structurally interesting bench appears to be private (it is located next to the front door of a house), but that does not make it any less attractive. The bench made from pieces of a tree trunk is not bad either.

And now that I have shown you all the most interesting details of Portiera, I shall keep my promise and return to the subject of the meadow. On the outskirts of the village, I encountered three cows peacefully grazing on a slope so steep that they looked more like mountain goats, happily jumping from one level to another. On top of that, all three were perfectly willing to be photographed.

That is all. Thankfully, I decided to stop by Portiera!
I only hope that the villagers are not offended by my little invasion.