A few kilometres from Sanremo, perched on a hill overlooking the sea, Bussana Vecchia is one of the most astonishing places on the Riviera di Ponente. The medieval village was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1887 and was abandoned for decades, until it was “adopted” in the nineteen-sixties by an international community of artists who turned the ruins into ateliers, workshops and galleries.

Today, strolling through the narrow streets is like entering an open-air museum, where every corner tells a creative story made of stone arches, murals and artisan studios.

We can begin with breakfast at one of the outdoor tables in Piazzetta Golosa, a small café at the entrance to the village that’s perfect for a cappuccino, a slice of home-made cake and a slow start to the day.

Heading towards the upper part of the village, we come to what remains of the church of Sant’Egidio, now one of the symbols of this place. Not far away are gardens created among the collapsed houses, where plants and flowers thrive between the stone walls.

For lunch, two places are much loved among visitors to the village. The first is Osteria degli Artisti, the first restaurant to reopen here and a real meeting place for creatives and residents, serving Ligurian food on a pleasant panoramic terrace. Alternatively, just before the entrance to the village, La Casaccia offers traditional cuisine and tables overlooking the valley, perfect for a relaxing stop after our visit.

Afternoon is the time to lose ourselves in the maze of narrow streets lined with the ateliers of ceramicists, painters, sculptors and designers who work as visitors watch, until the late afternoon sun lights up the ancient stones in warm sunset shades and Bussana Vecchia fully reveals its enchanted atmosphere.

(ph. Dario Garofalo)