Le Grottesche

Art and irony will suddenly surprise you during your walk through downtown Levanto. At the corner of Via Garibaldi and Via Vinzoni look up at the frontispiece of the first building and you will see a series of curious frescoes that have become known as "Le Grottesche." They are caricature portraits dating back to the 16th century whose author is unknown. They represent one of the few surviving examples in Liguria of a type of decoration, probably of Lombard origin, that was once widespread. The bizarre poses of the characters depicted, quite different from the elegant poses of official portraits, are amusing photographic subjects.