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Borgio Verezzi

Everyone can find their own dimension in this small corner of Liguria, where citizens still know each other by name.

Sea, Caves, Theater, Paths and Historical Centres: a great natural and cultural heritage in a small town, Borgio Verezzi, which with its 2,000 inhabitants, 2.8 sq km of territory and its two souls – Verezzi (one of the “Most Beautiful Villages in Italy”) in the hills and Borgio on the sea – represents a real pearl of the Riviera di Ponente. Outside the large tourist flows typical of the major centres, over the years the town has carved out for itself a unique place in the panorama of the Ligurian offer, thanks to its peculiar beauties: the sea rich in flora and fauna, with the typical beach-rock and sandy beaches, the very colorful Tourist caves with their suggestive path between stalactites, stalagmites and lakes, the National level theater festival in Verona, which has been performing the miracle of transforming every summer for over half a century Piazza S.Agostino in a prestigious national stage cradled between sky and sea, the wide network of Paths and routes which invites the visitor to take a slow walk, well repaid by the marvelous panoramas that open up at every step, the two historic centers of Borgio and Verezzi, with churches, monuments, thematic itineraries and stone houses leaning against each other, between creuze and caruggi, where time seems to have stopped…

Everyone can find their own dimension in this small corner of Liguria, where the citizens still know each other by name: Borgio Verezzi, a “Person-friendly Country“.

THINGS TO SEE / DO:
  • The Caves of Borgio Verezzi (“Valdemino”), open to the public with a guided tour lasting about an hour at fixed times, are a true treasure trove of underground beauty, carved out by the dripping water exactly below the town; in addition to the incredible colors of the concretions, the naturalistic and paleontological interest is remarkable.
  • Square and Church of S. Agostino in Verezzi, in Borgata Piazza, defined as "the most theatrical square in Italy", located in the heart of Verezzi which since 2008 has been counted among "The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy". The square is home to the summer theater festival which since 1967, without interruption, has conquered the public, established actors and directors and in their first experiences. Fascinating place, characterized by the massive presence of the famous "pink stone" of Verezzi, with a priceless view of the coast. The small church (17th century) is located in the center of the village, with a breathtaking view that makes it a popular destination for many married couples as well.
  • The Phoenician Mill (so called due to the construction technique attributed to this population), located in Borgata Crosa Alta in Verezzi, is a building of great historical value: in Europe there are two other examples of this type of mill, one in Sicily and one in Spain but that of Verezzi is the best preserved. It is a particular windmill equipped with driving blades implanted not externally, but internally, in the upper part of the tower, capable of exploiting any type of wind channeled by the slits obtained in the external wall and therefore of functioning constantly , considering the windy nature of the place.
  • The Croce dei Santi is located near the Mulino Fenicio, on a spur of rock visible from every nucleus of Verezzi and with a beautiful panorama of the villages and the coast. It is 3.5 meters high and is made of pink Verezzi stone. Placed in 1664 by some Capuchin friars returning from the Holy Land, it is today a destination for religious pilgrimages linked to Marian apparitions.
  • The Church of San Martino Vescovo di Tours is the parish church of Verezzi, located on the top of Mount Orera, built in 1625 on the remains of the "Ca' dei frati" and its church originally built by Benedictine monks. The church has a very simple structure with a single nave with four side chapels in addition to the main altar. Next to the parish church, we find the Sanctuary of Maria Madre e Regina (“Regina Mundi”), formerly the oratory of Santa Maria Maddalena, built in the 16th century. The large churchyard of the two churches offers a unique panorama, with a wide and magnificent view of the coast.
  • The Bell of the Mother, placed since 1982 in an enclosure next to the Church of S. Martino, is a large bell that strikes its tolls every evening at 19.00, in memory of all the deceased mothers. During the year, the names of the deceased mothers are collected in special envelopes that are found in the Verezzi churches: the names are then transcribed on parchment and placed in a box at the foot of the Bell on Mother's Day, after the Mass in their suffrage.
  • The Castellaro di Verezzi is located near the hamlet of Crosa and as a whole represents an area with a high concentration of caves and structures of archaeological interest including the Arma Crosa, the dolmen and some petroglyphs, with remains of masonry of houses that formed a small village built starting from the Iron Age (around the 9th century BC) and inhabited until the Middle Ages. For some years now, the Castellaro has been at the center of an important enhancement project promoted by the ABAP Superintendency of Imperia and Savona, the Municipality of Borgio Verezzi and the Archaeological Museum of Finale, which involves the creation of a real park and archaeological itinerary.
  • The Madonna del Buon Consiglio Sanctuary is located inside the Borgio Cemetery and represents the first center of the Christian community of Borgio; the church, begun by the Benedictine monks around the 9th century, has three naves and is a fine example of Romanesque-Gothic architecture; inside there are still remains of fifteenth-century frescoes, restored in 2009. The bell tower is one of the oldest in Liguria, with “1076” inscribed on the base stone.
  • The Torrione (1564) is located in Borgio, not far from the cemetery, at the foot of the historic centre. It was built in a few years for defensive purposes against the invasions of "Turks and Barbary" with the participation of all citizens, women, old people and children included. Together with the adjacent Palazzo dei Consoli, built later, after the recent renovation it has become the venue for social and cultural activities and events organized by the Associations and the Municipality.
  • The Cathedral of San Pietro Apostolo (18th century) and the homonymous square which forms the large churchyard, are located in the heart of the historic center of Borgio. The parish church was built on the remains of the old sixteenth-century castle built for the defense of the community. Inside, together with works of sacred sculpture and nineteenth-century paintings, twentieth-century works with which the bourgeoisie wanted to remedy the damage caused by a bomb that fell in October 1940, which destroyed the vault of the chapel on the right. Tradition has it that the Madonna of the Immaculate Conception (statue placed in the side chapel on the right aisle, with a bomb at her side) miraculously protected the inhabitants of the village from the bomb itself.
  • The Paths of Borgio Verezzi (Sentiero Natura, Sentiero Cultura, Sentiero Geologico, Via dei Carri Matti and Sentiero delle Ramate) make up a medium-easy level hiking network that connects Borgio to Verezzi and the villages of Verezzi with each other and with the neighboring municipalities through mule tracks and "caruggi", with glimpses and notable panoramic points
  • The historic centers of Borgio and Verezzi are quite distinct: that of Borgio develops in the lower part of the municipality, all around the Parish Church of San Pietro, with its network of suggestive cobbled alleys among the colored houses. On the eastern border of the center we find the Palazzo Comunale and the Civic Library, while to the west we find the Torrione. The historic center of Verezzi, on the other hand, develops in the hills with its four different villages (Poggio, Piazza, Roccaro, Crosa), distinct residential areas even if they share similar urban-architectural characteristics, with a splendid network of "caruggi" and "creuze ” in cobblestones and the stone houses leaning against each other.
  • “The Walls Tell” (Murals) and the Aqueduct Park (open-air museum) - in the historic center of Borgio, 16 murals created by the artist Mario Nebiolo on the walls of the ancient houses of the village, “tell” characters, stories and works of the Borgio of the past. A few tens of meters from the parish church, we find the magical Aqueduct Park, an open-air museum with statues, mosaics, ceramics and drawings by Mario Nebiolo, Angela Ferrero and Omar Hassan.
  • Guided tour of the colorful Caves of Borgio Verezzi
  • Theatrical performances of the Borgio Verezzi Theater Festival in Piazza S.Agostino in Verezzi (summer)
  • Musical concerts and events in Piazza S. Pietro (summer)
  • Excursions (hiking) along the extensive trail network
  • Visit to the historic pedestrian center of Borgio, with caruggi, squares, widenings, Cathedral of S. Pietro, Sanctuary of M. Buon Consiglio, Torrione of 1564, thematic itinerary "The walls tell" (murals) and Aqueduct Park, open-air museum in continuous to become, with stone statues, mosaics, ceramics;
  • Visita alle 4 borgate verezzine Poggio, Piazza, Roccaro e Crosa: veri e propri monumenti in pietra, fra “creuze” e “caruggi” con vista impagabile sulla costa, alla scoperta di chiese (S.Agostino, Martino, Cappella dei Campi, Santuario Maria Madre e Regina, Cappella Madonna Immacolata), monumenti, edicole votive, resti di antichi insediamenti, grotte e caverne, Mulino Fenicio, Croce dei Santi, Tomba dei Cucchi, Campana della Mamma, lavatoi;
  • Outdoor activities: in addition to excursions, climbing at the Falesia delle Cento Corde with 23 equipped routes; "Runnning Park" with a path from Borgio to Verezzi for running or brisk walking, with areas equipped for outdoor activities in several points; Blue Paths for snorkelling enthusiasts, with beach-rock or "shoal" rich in marine flora and fauna
  • Areas for children: Viale Colombo equipped playground, with adjacent circular field with basketball hoops
  • Teatro Vittorio Gassman: theatrical, musical and cultural events organized throughout the year
  • Reading, loan service and free internet point at the Civic Library with over 20,000 titles (books and DVDs), children's area and study room - fully accessible rooms

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