Pieve di Teco is a village in the Alta Valle Arroscia, in the hinterland of Imperia, 240 metres above sea level, where the Arrogna stream flows into the Arroscia. It has about 1,300 inhabitants and a historic centre built around a single street, corso Mario Ponzoni, covered by large pointed arcades. Since December 2025 it has been one of Italy’s Most Beautiful Villages (“I Borghi più belli d’Italia”).
The town dates from 1233, when the valley people and the marquis Antonio di Clavesana agreed to found a “new borgo” with at least 200–300 families. From 1386 it belonged to the Republic of Genoa, which made it a border stronghold facing Piedmont and kept a Captain here. That is why it has merchants’ arcades, a neoclassical Collegiate Church and a wooden theatre with a 43-square-metre stage: this was a place where people passed through and traded, and you can still see it.
You come to Pieve to walk under the arcades, step into a couple of museums and eat mountain food, not for the sea, which is half an hour away by road. It works as a half-day or full-day trip, easy to combine with Dolcedo, Zuccarello or a stop along the road to the Colle di Nava. If the heart of the village is what interests you, read our guide to the arcades of Pieve di Teco: measurements, history and a walking route.
By Italian Riviera editorial team·Updated on ·12 min read
Where is Pieve di Teco?
Pieve di Teco is in Liguria (Riviera di Ponente, Riviera dei Fiori, province of IM).
You can walk the centre in a couple of hours, stops included, and there are no hard climbs: this is a valley-floor village, not a hilltop one. Below are the stops in walking order, from corso Ponzoni towards the stream. Opening hours for the museums and the theatre are not published by the town council and they change: if you don’t need to go inside, the walk outdoors is worth the visit on its own.
Corso Mario Ponzoni and the arcades
The arcades are the reason you come. Corso Mario Ponzoni is the axis of the “new borgo”: one continuous street of pointed arches, about 7 metres high and 8 metres wide, built from the 15th century and essentially finished in the first half of the 16th. Individual families built them, with a height in proportion to their wealth; a rule of the Republic set a minimum height. Look up for the rings and pulleys fixed to the vaults, used for scales and for hoisting loads.
Under the arcades there are workshops, a few craft shoemakers and cafés. Almost every house has a fondaco, an underground entrance leading to cellars that sometimes run under the whole house. Measurements, history and a walking route are in the guide to the arcades.
Little squares and lanes of the old village
Via Piave has smaller arcades, low and narrow, with a more archaic look and outside staircases; via Umberto I, near the Collegiate Church, has very old houses and a tall, narrow arch. The little squares of Brunengo and Carenzi are the most comfortable places to stop. There is no set route.
Collegiate Church of San Giovanni Battista
The Collegiate Church is the main church, with the title of “insigne” since 1586. The Gothic church of the 15th century was demolished in 1782 and the present one was designed by the Ticino architect Gaetano Cantoni, who finished it in 1806. Outside it has a curved colonnade in front of three entrances; inside it is neoclassical, with a three-lobed plan, an octagonal dome and a black-and-white chequered floor. It holds a 15th-century baptismal font, processional statues by Anton Maria Maragliano and paintings from the 16th to the 19th century. Opening hours are not published: if it is closed, the façade is worth seeing.
Oratory of San Giovanni Battista
This is the first church of the town, built between 1233 and 1243 and altered over the centuries. Inside are a vault painted in 1719 by Marvaldo, scenes of the Passion repainted in 1736 by Sasso, a copy of the Last Supper by Domenico Piola and a processional statue of the saint by Maragliano. The same goes for visiting: hours are not published.
Madonna della Ripa and the Diocesan Museum
Madonna della Ripa is the village’s old parish church, dating from 1370. It is a Gothic church with three aisles on stone columns, a flat apse, traces of paintings (a St Christopher and a Madonna in Majesty) and a crypt of the Flagellants. Deconsecrated, it had civil and military uses, and today it houses the Diocesan Museum, Alta Valle Arroscia section. Among the works are a Last Supper by Domenico Piola and the processional float with Maragliano’s statue of the Assumption. In 2023 the museum was open on Saturdays and Sundays, morning and afternoon, with group visits on weekdays by booking: 2026 hours are not confirmed. Call the museum (0182 579310) before you go.
Teatro Salvini
The Teatro Salvini is a period theatre built entirely of wood, with stalls, two tiers of boxes and a gallery, seating around a hundred. Sources give different numbers (90, 96, 99), so we give none. The stage measures 43 square metres. The idea dates from 1834, when Giuseppe Manfredi asked the town council for the Roggia oven so he could build a theatre there; it takes its name from the actor Tommaso Salvini (1830–1915), closed in the 1950s and reopened in 2005 after a restoration that ran from 2001 to 2004 and won awards in 2006 and 2007. The town council calls it “the smallest theatre in the world”, but we haven’t verified that: it is one of the smallest historic theatres in Italy. Visiting hours and the 2026 programme are not published.
Former Augustinian convent: Rambaldi theatre and Museum of Masks
The former convent of the Augustinian nuns was built in the mid-17th century to a design by Giulio Benso, after the castle was destroyed in 1625. It later became barracks and today houses public services: the Rambaldi civic theatre, the library and, on the ground floor, the Ubaga Museum of Masks. The museum collects dozens of masks reinterpreted by about eighty artists, starting from research into the peasant culture of Ubaga, a small village in the Alta Valle Arroscia. They are symbolic figures, friendly or hostile to people, linked to the death and rebirth of nature. Hours and ticket are not published: phone the town hall (0183 36313).
Palazzo Borelli
Palazzo Borelli is a 19th-century noble building, handed over to the town council in 1903 and now the town hall, on corso Ponzoni. You see it from outside. In the centre there are also private palaces with coats of arms, such as Palazzo Manfredi: they can’t be visited.
Church of the Concezione and piazza Carenzi
At the start of the Borghetto, the district that grew outside the walls, stands the small church of the Concezione, with a façade from 1753. Piazza Carenzi, under which the old moats run in a tunnel, has the historic Albergo dell’Angelo, opened at the start of the 19th century in the Napoleonic period, with a frescoed dining room.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Pieve di Teco
Pieve has few beds: hotels, B&Bs and farm stays in the valley. We don’t give names of properties: the town council’s list changes and the exact number is not confirmed. The areas to choose between:
Historic centre: under or near the arcades, within walking distance of everything, with a few steps and, on the last Sunday of the month, the market under your window.
Piazza Carenzi and Borghetto: convenient for parking and the bus.
Hamlets and countryside: quieter farm stays; you need a car.
If you want more choice or the sea, stay in Imperia, Diano Marina or Albenga and come up for the day. Book well ahead for the Expo Valle Arroscia in early September.
SS 28 from Imperia or SS 453 from Albenga; journey times not verified ⚠️
By train
No station in the valley: Imperia or Albenga, then a bus (few runs) or a taxi ⚠️
By plane
Nice Côte d'Azur or Genoa; road distances not verified ⚠️
By car
The town is on state road 28 of the Colle di Nava. From Imperia you drive up through Pontedassio and Chiusavecchia; from Albenga take state road 453 of the Valle Arroscia. Since 2011 a tunnel bypass avoids the built-up area: follow the signs for the centre. We have no official time from Imperia: allow about half an hour. From France you enter Italy at Ventimiglia and take the A10.
By train
There is no station. The nearest are on the Genoa–Ventimiglia coastal line, at Imperia and Albenga. From there you need a bus or a taxi.
By bus
From Imperia there are Riviera Trasporti services towards Pieve and Ormea, with few runs. We don’t have a confirmed official timetable: check the Riviera Trasporti website or call 0183 7001 the day before.
By air
The airports most people use are Nice Côte d’Azur and Genoa. We have no verified road distances: expect a long trip, of a couple of hours or more.
Parking
Around the historic centre there are parking areas uphill and downhill. We have no verified numbers of spaces or tariffs. On market and fair days the arcades are full: arrive early or leave the car outside the town. For information call the town hall, 0183 36313.
The antiques market takes place on the last Sunday of every month under the arcades, even in the rain. The town council speaks of about 150 stallholders, many from outside the valley. The hours are not published: announcements mention a full day, so it is best to arrive in the morning.
The other events of the year:
Feast of San Sebastiano: 20 January, the town’s patron saint.
CarneValle: a parade of floats, often decorated tractors, on the Sunday before Shrove Tuesday.
Good Friday procession: organised by the confraternity of the Buona Morte.
Feast of San Giovanni Battista: 24 June.
Expo Valle Arroscia: a fair of the valley’s products under the arcades, in early September; in 2026 it ran from 4 to 6 September (13th edition). The 2027 dates have not been announced.
October Fair: under the arcades, on 18 October in 2026.
Dates change from year to year: check them on the town council’s website before you set off.
What to eat in Pieve di Teco
Here you eat valley and mountain food, not seafood. The cooking of the Alta Valle Arroscia is known as “cucina bianca” (“white cooking”) because it relies mostly on dairy, flours, potatoes, herbs and garden vegetables. We don’t give any dish as “typical of Pieve”: sources attribute the signature dishes to other villages in the valley, such as the patate in ta foglia of Mendatica.
Olive oil: the valley produces Riviera Ligure DOP extra virgin oil from Taggiasca olives grown on terraces. Buy it from producers.
Ormeasco di Pornassio: a DOC red wine from the Valle Arroscia, with a rosé version called sciac-trà.
Vessalico garlic: a Slow Food Presidium, with a fair in early July (to be verified).
Mountain-pasture cheeses and mountain products: look for them at the markets and during the Expo.
To sit down to a meal you will find trattorias and pizzerias along corso Ponzoni and in the town. We don’t give names. The town council’s website has an up-to-date list.
Walks and surroundings
The town council gives no lengths or times for these places, so we don’t invent them: check the distance on your phone’s map.
Sanctuary of the Madonna dei Fanghi
The sanctuary is a white and pink country church that began as a wayside shrine in the first half of the 17th century. It stands about 6 km from Pieve, on the road to Armo and Moano, in a wood. Below the sanctuary the Arrogna stream forms a small gorge, and nearby is the old mill of Moano.
Santa Filomena and the Mulino del Longo
Just outside the town, on the road towards the Rezzo valley, there is an old humpback bridge, the little church of Santa Filomena and the Mulino del Longo, which still keeps its milling and oil-press equipment. It is a short, photogenic stop.
Teco, Barcheti and the Bosco dei Frati
Before you enter the town, the small settlement of Teco has a restored church and, at the top, the ruins of the castle of 1125. Climbing up to the Cappuccini brings you to Barcheti, among olive trees and vines, and to the Bosco dei Frati, near the 17th-century convent.
The hamlets
The municipality has seven hamlets, between 223 and 700 metres: Acquetico (400 m), Calderara, Lovegno (700 m, with views of the Alps, the sea and the Albenga plain), Moano, Muzio, Nirasca and Trovasta. Each has a parish church and a few works of art: at Nirasca a 16th-century polyptych attributed to Luca Cambiaso, at Muzio the parish church of Santa Lucia from 1777, at Calderara the octagonal church of the Madonna della Neve. You need a car or strong legs.
Forte Richermo and the Colle di Nava
The fort is part of the Nava defensive line and dates from the late 19th century. We have no hours or visiting arrangements, so we don’t put it in your plan. State road 28 climbs to the Colle di Nava, at 934 metres, and drops into Piedmont towards Ormea.
Day trips from Pieve di Teco
Imperia: the provincial capital and the sea, about half an hour’s drive down the valley.
Dolcedo: the village of olive trees and oil mills, in the Prino valley.
Albenga: the Roman and medieval town, about thirty kilometres away.
Zuccarello: the medieval village with arcades and a bridge, in the Val Neva.
Diano Marina: beach and promenade if you want the sea after the valley.
Cervo: the seaside village near Diano Marina, for a swim after the valley.
Triora: the witches’ village, with the Alpi Liguri Park.
The Alpi Liguri Park covers seven municipalities, including Mendatica, Rezzo and Cosio d’Arroscia, in the same valley. For trails and mountain huts, see the park’s website: we have no verified routes.
Weather
Weather and best time to visit Pieve di Teco
Spring and autumn; antiques market on the last Sunday of the month, Expo in early September
⛅
11°CNow · wind 7 km/h
Thu 22⛅17° 11°
Fri 23🌦️16° 10°4 mm
Sat 24🌤️16° 7°
Sun 25⛅17° 7°
Mon 26☁️21° 12°
Tue 27☀️21° 14°
Forecast: MET Norway (Yr), CC BY 4.0 licence. Updated hourly.
Pieve di Teco vista dall'alto, con il centro storico e la valle dell'ArrosciaIl portico di corso Mario Ponzoni a Pieve di TecoUna piazzetta del centro storico di Pieve di TecoUn vicolo con arco nel centro storico di Pieve di TecoPortici in pietra con tavolini all'aperto a Pieve di TecoLa Collegiata di San Giovanni Battista a Pieve di TecoL'ex chiesa della Madonna della Ripa a Pieve di Teco, oggi museo diocesano
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Pieve di Teco
Is Pieve di Teco one of Italy's Most Beautiful Villages?
Yes, it joined the club in December 2025. It does not appear to hold the Touring Club’s Orange Flag.
How long are the arcades?
We found no official measurement. We know they are about 7 metres high, with a span of 8, and that they were built from the 15th century to the middle of the 16th.
When is the antiques market?
Every last Sunday of the month, under the arcades, even in the rain.
Can you visit the Teatro Salvini?
The theatre reopened in 2005 and hosts performances, but 2026 visiting hours are not published. Ask the town hall (0183 36313).
Where is the Ubaga Museum of Masks?
On the ground floor of the former Augustinian convent, in the centre. Hours and ticket are not published.
Is the Diocesan Museum open?
In 2023 it was open on Saturdays and Sundays, morning and afternoon. 2026 hours are not confirmed: call 0182 579310.
How long do you need to visit the town?
Half a day for the arcades, the Collegiate Church and one museum; a full day if you add the Fanghi sanctuary or a trip in the valley.
Can you get there without a car?
Yes, but it is slow: train to Imperia or Albenga, then a bus with few runs. Check the Riviera Trasporti timetables.
Is there a sea at Pieve di Teco?
No. The nearest sea is at Imperia and Diano Marina, about half an hour away by road.
Is it worth going in winter?
The town is quiet and the arcades shelter you well from rain, but at 240 metres in the valley it can be cold and museum hours are reduced: check before you go.
