Millesimo

It is the symbol of Millesimo and appears on the municipal coat of arms. The bridge crosses the Bormida and ends at a gate with a guard tower topped by Ghibelline battlements: it was the western entrance to the village. It is also called the «Ponte Vecchio». Sources mention it in the founding deed of 1206, but they disagree about the tower: some date it to the 12th century along with the bridge, one guide puts it at the end of the 15th. In 1744, after a flood of the Bormida, one of the two arches collapsed together with a small tower; next to the old bridge there is now a suspended footbridge, which a recent article describes as 19th-century and closed to the public. To see it whole, look at it from the river bank, as the best-known photos do.

Piazza Italia is the centre of the village: arcades, shops and one side taken up by the Town Hall. Markets and festivals are held here, including the ribbon-cutting of the Truffle Festival. Narrow streets with stone houses and red roofs lead off the square, with the odd Del Carretto coat of arms. In the shops under the arcades you find hazelnut cakes, cheeses, cured meats and truffle sauces. Some guides say the main axis follows the old Roman via Aemilia Scauri: the claim is repeated but not documented, so do not count it as a stop.

The castle dominates the village from a low hill. The oldest part, with the tower, the keep and the east wall, dates from the second half of the 13th century; the plan is square, with towers at the corners. In 1553 it was dismantled on the orders of the governor of Milan, who feared it would fall to the French; the family moved into the palace that is now the Town Hall. It was damaged again in 1796, during the Napoleonic campaigns. The municipality bought it in 1989 and has been restoring it since the 1980s: today it hosts exhibitions and concerts. There are no official visiting hours: according to one guide it opens only for events. Before climbing up, ask the municipality (+39 019 564007) ⚠️.

At the foot of the castle stands Villa Scarzella, built in 1855 by Giuseppe Scarzella and bought by the municipality in 1989. It houses the Napoleonic Museum, with prints, maps, posters and proclamations from the period and models of battles fought by the French army in Liguria and lower Piedmont, and on the ground floor the museum of the Bric Tana Park, telling the geological story of the area from the Carboniferous onwards. The Napoleonic Museum recalls the battle of April 1796. Hours and entry are not confirmed: the Ministry of Culture listing speaks of seasonal and occasional opening. Phone first: +39 019 564007 ⚠️.

Just outside the old core stands the Romanesque church of Santa Maria extra muros, with a bell tower of several storeys. Sources disagree on dates: one places a first mention in 998, other guides speak of the 12th century with a 15th-century bell tower. Guides mention three naves, 16th-century frescoes and a medieval baptismal font. Opening hours are not confirmed ⚠️.

It stands at about 600 metres, in a clearing along the provincial road to Murialdo and Calizzano, among beech, chestnut and oak woods. «Deserto» here means a secluded place, not sand. In 1618 a priest had a Madonna and Child painted on a chestnut drying shed; according to tradition, in 1726 a woman obtained the healing of her blind son by praying before the image, and in 1727 the first sanctuary was completed. The present building dates from the second half of the 19th century; the great dome was decorated between 1946 and 1952. It keeps an 1855 Agati organ. It is a stop you make by car.

It is the smallest protected area in Liguria: about 170 hectares. It was protected for its karst system, with sinkholes and swallow holes, and for an archaeological site considered of primary importance in Liguria. There is also the Tana dell’Orpe, a cave of about 350 metres with an equipped area in front. We have no marked and verified trails to offer you: the park’s visitor centre is on the SP28 and gives information and guided visits on request (+39 019 564007) ⚠️. If you want to walk, ask there for a map.

About 14 kilometres away, in the neighbouring municipality of Osiglia, there is an artificial lake created by a dam built between 1937 and 1939 for the steelworks on the Bormida. Three hamlets, Cavallotti, Giacchini and Bertolotti, were submerged and about three hundred people had to move. The remains only resurface when the lake is drained for maintenance: that happened in 2006 and in December 2020. The shores have beech and chestnut woods; there is no verified information on services and rentals ⚠️.