Come for the roses, the irises, the hostas! You’ll find over 230 different varieties of plant here – they are Rosanna’s passion. With drowsy shutters, buzzing bees and walls festooned in roses, the house and outbuildings appear to be in a permanent state of siesta. As do the seven cats, basking on warm window sills and shady terraces. There’s a touch of The Secret Garden about the half-hidden doors, enticing steps and riotous plants, and the air is fragrant with lavender, oregano and roses, many from France. The house and farm, on a wooded hillside, have been in Rosanna’s family for nearly 300 years; she gave up a career as an architect to create this paradise 40 minutes from Genoa. Homely, imaginatively decorated, bedrooms have handsome furniture, books, pictures; bathrooms come with baskets of goodies. Everyone eats together at a long table in the conservatory or outside, where lights glow in the trees at night. Rosanna, Domenico, young Vijaya and Samjhana are the most delightful hosts, and the home-grown food is a revelation: agriturismo at its best.
Our third stay at Traversina since 2016, and we will be back again. This is our go to Agritourismo in Italy. Cannot say enough about Rosanna (and Bize) who are some of the warmest people we have even met. Magical rooms, dinners, people and countryside... a piece of heaven on earth.