Borgomaro in Italy | Province of Imperia, Liguria
Enjoy holidays in the hinterland of Liguria, Italy.
Borgomaro
A small village with medieval beginnings in the Maro river valley
Explore the natural vegetation as you walk and hike through the mountainous landscape, chestnut woodlands and the green meadows
Travel tips
The main district has an unusual shape: the houses are built on a number of levels in a row along the River Impero.
The church of Santi Nazario e Celso, the main parish church, is of early Christian origin.
The church of Sant'Antonio stands on the bank of the Impero: it preserves a poliptych by Guido da Ranzo and a polychrome marble pulpit in Baroque style; the external stone columns in the loggias may have been part of the original building.
In the past, this was a very rich town: it supplied Piedmont with the olive oil produced in its seven mills, which still link Borgomaro with this centuries-old tradition. Besides the excellent olive oil that you can taste at the local factories and the Taggiasca olives and refined olive paste, local foods also include some excellent fennel-seed cakes, "San Rocco" bread, Lenten focaccia and a speciality called "baxin".
History
Borgomaro, the main centre in the Maro Valley, once stood on the hill where there now stands today's Maro Castello (Castrum Macri), which is just a few houses lying at the foot of the ruins of what was one of the most important strongholds in the Oneglia hinterland.
The municipal district of Candeasco, which could only be reached by mule-track until last century, has a parish church dedicated to San Bernardino da Siena, who once passed through here, and is also the place of origin of the Marvaldi family, architects of the Ligurian Baroque style in the Imperia area.
With its castle and numerous fountains, Conio is famous for its white beans, while the specialities of San Lazzaro Reale are the eels caught below the fifteenth-century bridge. Villa San Pietro is known for its water sources and aromatic herbs; the town has many oratories dating from various periods.
How to reach
Borgomaro is part of the municipality of San Lazzaro and is one of the villages in the province of Imperia which lies in the Liguria region. Close to Borgomaro are other hamlets like: Candeasco (1.7 km), Lucinasco (9.7 km) and Ville San Sebastiano (5.6 km). When coming from the direction of Imperia take the SS28 towards Torino and drive past Pontedassio. When you reach Sarola, turn to the left towards Borgomaro.
