While traveling through Italy in the province of La Spezia, we rented a random apartment somewhere nearby and could not suspect anything, although the colors of some dollhouses could be seen from afar.
We rolled up to a steep mountain near which there was a signpost - Nikola and along which long and steep serpentines led.
And only when you left, we discovered the incredibly charming village of Nikolay, located among the mountain slopes, which smoothly merge into each other with iridescent colors and without words - it is a place where time stops.
Even from afar, one could see a similar type of village on another distant hill. The spaciousness of these juicy green slopes was like a sip of water in the midst of all this suffocation, although I must admit that it was very hot on the mountain during the day, and to be honest, the green hills do not give these refreshing splashes in reality, although the allegory will attract beautifully. The most interesting thing is that the village is unrealistically close to civilization, but it uniquely combines the silence and harmony of remoteness with the feeling of proximity to the seashore.
You will not understand until you look at the view from the window of my also unrealistically authentic retro house in the style of Provence, it is just a fairy tale for Princess Belle, which every woman could feel like living here.
One of the authentic, well-chosen decor elements in this house was an antique mirror in a golden frame
So, and the view from the window, it was like an inserted image zoomed in several times from the Internet, so it really felt that I wanted to check it by waving my hand to see if there are any pixels on the screen.
This view of the sea, the hills, and also the twinkling lights at night, is simply mesmerizing, we loved putting up a chair and sitting for so long and looking into the distance.
In fact, this village with a stone town in the shape of a circle has remained in our hearts as a gem that took top 1 on the list in our last trip to Europe. We loved to walk in the evenings in this place under the warm light of lanterns and feel the spirit of mystical, magical Italy, that old one.
Cats are also an important part of the village's day and, in particular, night life. They repeatedly staged noisy fights in the middle of the night, disturbing the sleep of local residents. And once, one night, I even witnessed a funny situation, how a woman poured water from the window on noisy cats to disperse the quarrelsome miscreants and restore silence.
Such moments make Nikola not only a place with a rich history, but also a real living village with colorful traditions and habits of local residents. If it didn't sound ironic, but you can go around the village very easily in less than 15 minutes, and it was an enthusiastic passage through this labyrinth. You will never believe, but what caught my attention the most were the silent guardians of this place, namely โ Doors!
And actually I got the idea to make a virtual collection of these beautiful doors and share them with you, and I collected quite a few for the purpose.
Each of these doors is so unique, peculiar, variously authentic, but the sweetest and most familiar among them were the doors to my rented house:
You know even during the research, these seemingly silent guys can tell the whole rich and ancient history of this noble and famous village. According to them, the origin of Nicholas dates back to the Middle Ages, when the surrounding territories were strategically important for defense against invasions and control of trade routes between the Ligurian coast and Tuscany.
The town was founded around the 13th century on the site of an older settlement, which served as protection for local residents from pirate raids and feudal feuds. Its main role was defensive due to its strategic location on the hill, which allowed it to control the valleys and sea routes.
The village was also influenced by Byzantine culture, which is reflected in its architecture and traditions. Thanks to its geographical position, Nikola remained isolated from mass urbanization, which allowed to preserve its authentic appearance and cultural heritage.
Most of the buildings in the village were built before 1919, mostly of stone, reflecting the traditional architectural style of Liguria. The village has 94 residential buildings, most of which are in good condition, and many of them have preserved their original wooden doors that can tell the stories of several generations.
One of the main architectural monuments is the Chiesa dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo church, built in 1759. It was built on the ruins of an older Byzantine chapel, testifying to the religious spirit of the village, which continues through the centuries.
Its powerful olive-khaki door contrasts with the yellow walls. This temple has been the central spiritual and cultural center of the village since the 18th century. By the way, regarding olives, the village of Nikola also remained an important agricultural center for a long time, in particular for the cultivation of grapes and olives.
But despite these two agricultural crops typical for the region, here the surrounding landscape of the village is diluted by bright to the eye colorful flowers with bright blue petals, which give a special charm, as well as more exotic plants, even such as cactus.
