The places, by distance from Ca' Nicò
In addition to its villages and beaches, the Ponente boasts museums, churches, castles, and gardens worth a visit. This guide lists them starting with the closest, with a link to the dedicated article where it's available, and a line for the others.
In Dolcedo and in Val Prino
The Church of St. Thomas the Apostle
In Piazza Doria in Dolcedo, the medieval parish church was rebuilt between 1717 and 1738 based on a design by architect Giacomo Filippo Marvaldi: one of the masterpieces of Ligurian Baroque, with its double stucco decoration. We discuss it in the article on Dolcedo .
The chapel of Saint Brigid
Above Dolcedo, on the road to Pietrabruna, lies the medieval chapel rebuilt in 1425 , as the inscription on the portal states: rough stone, two portals carved with a cross and the Agnus Dei, a portico that served as a shelter for pilgrims, and a Romanesque apse with single-lancet windows with arrow slits. Late medieval frescoes were recently discovered in the apse basin and are currently being studied. It is the starting point of the Three Bridges Walk and the climb to Faudo .
The Acquasanta Sanctuary, Pietralata Castle, and the Valloria Gates
Three places in the valley with their article: the sanctuary on the Rio dei Boschi , the ruins of the castle and the painted doors .
In Imperia
The Parasio
The promontory of Porto Maurizio's medieval historic center: churches, ancient buildings, alleyways, and sea views that only a village overlooking the water can offer. You climb up from the harbor and descend on the other side toward Borgo Marina, with the Loggia di Santa Chiara halfway up.
Villa Grock and the Clown Museum
The villa that the Swiss clown Grock, considered the greatest of all time, had built on the hills of Oneglia: bizarre architecture, richly decorated symbols, a park with a pond and bridges, and the legends that every Imperia child knows. Today it houses the Clown Museum: open Monday and Friday 9:30 am - 12:30 pm, Saturday and Sunday 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm, with evening openings in summer; admission is €9, reduced €7; on weekends, a shuttle runs from Piazza Dante every half hour.
The Carlo Carli Olive Museum
At the historic headquarters of Fratelli Carli in Oneglia, opened in 1992: eighteen rooms recount six thousand years of olive growing in the Mediterranean, from silver oil lamps to olive press machinery, plus a garden with ancient presses. An hour's visit is the perfect place to understand the valley where you sleep.
Naval Museum and MACI
The International Naval Museum of Western Liguria, with its rooms dedicated to seafaring and its planetarium, and the MACI, the museum of contemporary art that since 2016 has housed the Invernizzi collection of paintings, sculptures, and graphics from the late 20th century. Both are located in the center of Imperia.
On the coast
Deer
The village with the Corallini church overlooking the sea, built with the funds of coral fishermen, and the alleys that rise from the port: in the villages of Val Prino and the surrounding area .
The Sanremo Casino and the Pigna
The Art Nouveau Casino building and the medieval centre of Pigna , half an hour away.
In the hinterland
Bussana Vecchia: the garden and the museum
The Garden among the Ruins and the small museum Il Cuore di Bussana, dedicated to the village artists and other Italian and foreign artists, in the center of the village.
Triora: the witches' museum
The Ethnographic and Witchcraft Museum, conceived by the historian Father Francesco Ferraironi and desired by a group of Triora residents, with the underground rooms of the 1587 trials: in Triora .
The castles
The Lucertola Castle in Apricale and the Doria Castle in Dolceacqua, both of which can be visited and include a museum.
The Church of the Purification in Apricale
Built around the 12th century and remodeled several times, Baroque since the restoration of 1760, with the neo-Romanesque façade redone in 1935 and the bell tower obtained from an ancient tower: it is on the square of Apricale .
The Pigna Thermal Baths
Liguria's only thermal baths, in the Nervia Valley, have been closed since 2016 pending revitalization as a spa resort; the village is still worth a visit: read the article . Those looking for a closer spa can find wellness centers in the hotels along the coast; the oft-mentioned Il Casale Relais is near Finale Ligure, an hour and a half away.
On the Border: The Hanbury Gardens
On the Mortola promontory in Ventimiglia, just a few kilometers from France: 18 hectares of English-style botanical gardens descending from the hillside to the sea, with irregular paths, pergolas, patios, a section of the ancient Via Julia Augusta, and, under the entrance portico, the 1888 Marco Polo mosaic. Open year-round from 9:30 a.m., closing at 4, 5, or 6 p.m. depending on the season; full price ticket €8-9, concessions €5.50-7.50, families €20-25. An hour and a quarter from Ca' Nicò, to be combined with Balzi Rossi.
How to organize yourself
- Rainy day: Olive Museum, Villa Grock, MACI.
- Half day in Imperia: Parasio in the morning, Olive Museum in the afternoon.
- Border Day: Hanbury, Balzi Rossi, Dolceacqua.