Shady narrow streets that open onto little terraces overlooking the sea, pastel-coloured houses, historic palaces (like the 17th-century Palazzo Morchio, home to the Town Hall), gardens and small vegetable plots, city walls and bastions that evoke a distant past, when the inhabitants had to defend themselves from attack by Saracen pirates. This is Cervo, in the province of Imperia, just half an hour from The Mall Sanremo: a Medieval village built on an ancient Roman settlement, and today one of the most beautiful places in western Liguria.

CHURCH OF SAN GIOVANNI BATTISTA
Also known as the church of the Corallini (because it was built in the early 18th century thanks to donations by coral fishers), the church of San Giovanni Battista in Cervo, with its magnificent facade facing the blue sea, is the largest Baroque building in western Liguria.

ORATORY OF SANTA CATERINA
A Romanesque-style church built in the 13th century and consisting of a single nave and a small side chapel. Nowadays it is used for exhibitions and concerts.

CASTELLO DEI CLAVESANA
Also built in the 13th century and encompassing an ancient Romanesque tower, the castle was once home to the marquesses of Clavesana, lords of Cervo. Today it is the seat of the Museo Etnografico del Ponente Ligure, where visitors can learn all about the culture and peoples of this area.

PORTEGHETTO BEACH
A steep staircase descends from the village to a low cliff, which creates turquoise pools of seawater.

EVENTS
In summer, be lulled by the sounds of the International Chamber Music Festival (celebrating 60 years in 2024), which has hosted some of the world’s most famous classical musicians; and don’t miss Cervo ti Strega, a cultural event starring the five shortlisted writers of the prestigious Strega literary prize.

(photos Markus Spiske)