The hamlet of Loreto, located on the hydrographic left side of the Argentina creek at the height of 649m, is famous for the grand single-span bridge 112m in hight, 8,2m in width and 119m in length, designed by the engineer Scalesse and built in 1958-1959 by the company Rosario Siniscalchi to offer residents with a comfortable connection with the opposite side of the valley and to allow them to reach quickly the region Mauta and the hamlet of Cetta, small borough located at a height of 774m. In the recent past the bridge was also used as a launch base for bungee-jumping, extreme sport that consists in jumping into the void from a great height while stripped to an elastic cord. The geomorphological features of the area offer various opportunities to practice sports in close contact with nature: indeed, it is not rare to observe someone climbing the rocky cliffs that rise in the surroundings or someone canyoning down the steep and spectacular course of the Argentina creek, the largest water course that entirely flows inside the province of Imperia, for a full length of circa 39 km and a basin of circa 220 km2. The creek has its source in the southern slopes of mount Saccarello, the summit of which, at 2200m, is the highest peak of Liguria. The creek crosses the homonymous valley, flowing into the Mar Ligure near Arma di Taggia. The very permeable calcareous terrains that are present in its basin considerably reduce its water flow along the course, despite the contribution of its tributaries, present especially on the hydrographic right side, among which in particular the Rio dell’Infernetto and the Oxentina creek. Its transparent waters host a rich ichthyofauna, while the rocky cliffs that surround it welcome some ornithological species included in the Allegato I of the Direttiva Uccelli 2009/147/CE, such as the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and the eagle-owl (Bubo bubo), the presence of which has suggested the institution of the Special Protection Area “IT1314679 Toraggio-Gerbonte” and the Natural Regional Park of the Ligurian Alps.
The peregrine falcon is a cosmopolitan bird of prey of medium dimensions, belonging to the family of the Falconidae, specialized in hunting other birds in flight, catching them with high-speed stoops that can reach a speed of over 300 km/h. The eagle-owl, instead, is the largest nocturnal European bird of prey, it has a wingspan that can reach 2 metres in width and it feeds on both mammals and birds. An historical and religious peculiarity of the area is certainly the sanctuary of Nostra Signora di Loreto, built in the first half of the sixteenth century at the behest of the Gastaldi family. The building is also known to the locals as “Madonna del Ciappazzu”, since it has been erected above a slate rock formation, and as “Nostra Signora delle Saline”, because in the past it was a meeting point for smugglers transporting salt from Nice to Piedmont, who crossed the Argentina valley. The sanctuary, which has a Latin cross plan, is internally subdivided in three naves and contains a valuable painting, made by the local artist Lorenzo Gastaldi, which represents the sacred family and Saint John the Baptist. The inhabitants of Triora are very devout to the Virgin Mary of Loreto and they still celebrate the annual feast day on the first Sunday of September.
