Finale Ligure

Finalmarina’s large church is one of the finest examples of Ligurian Baroque. Work started in 1619 and ended in 1674; the façade was finished in 1762 to a design by local architect Nicolò Barella, who also designed the dome built in 1780. Inside, three naves are divided by paired columns of white Carrara marble, modelled on San Siro in Genoa.

On the seafront stands the Arch of Margherita Teresa, known to everyone as the Arco di Spagna. It went up in just a few months, between May and August 1666, designed by Sebastiano Bocciardo, to welcome the Infanta Margarita, daughter of Philip IV of Spain, on her way to Vienna to marry Emperor Leopold I. A single archway between four columns, it is the symbol of Finale’s Spanish period.

Above Finalborgo, a few minutes’ walk up the old Strada Beretta, is the fort built by the Spanish in the mid-17th century. From its terraces you look down on the rooftops, the valley and the sea. It is the shortest scenic walk you can do from Finalborgo.

Further along the Strada Beretta, on the hill of Perti, are the ruins of Castel Gavone, the fortified residence of the Del Carretto, first recorded in 1128. Its highlight is the Diamond Tower, added around 1490: the blocks of Finale stone are cut into pyramid points, and it is one of the most original pieces of Renaissance military architecture in Italy. The Genoese demolished the castle in the early 18th century, and the recent restoration left the damage visible. Inside visits are guided only and must be booked: details on the MUDIF, Finale’s diffuse museum.

Finalpia sits between Finalmarina and Varigotti. Its landmark is the abbey of Santa Maria di Pia, still home to Benedictine monks. The bell tower in Finale stone, with three tiers of mullioned windows and an octagonal spire, dates from the 13th century; in the 1470s the monastery passed to the Olivetan monks at the Del Carretto family’s request, and the façade is Baroque.

The Caprazoppa is the headland west of Finalmarina, towards Borgio Verezzi. In its rock opens the Arene Candide cave, one of the key prehistoric sites in Europe: this is where the burial of the “Young Prince”, a boy who lived about 24,000 years ago, was found. Visits are only with an archaeologist, on set dates and by booking through the museum (tel. +39 019 690020); the walk in takes about half an hour and tours are cancelled in rain.

Inland above the hamlet of Verzi, the Val Ponci (“valley of bridges”) preserves five bridges of the Via Julia Augusta, the Roman road linking Italy and Gaul. Going up the valley you meet the Ponte delle Fate, the best preserved and still walkable, then the Sordo, Voze, Acqua and Magnone bridges. The route is about 4–5 km on dirt road and path, shared with mountain bikers; start from the parking area just before the Ponte delle Fate.

Near Castel Gavone on the Perti hill stands the small Chiesa dei Cinque Campanili, instantly recognisable by its five little bell towers. It was commissioned in the second half of the 15th century by Alfonso I Del Carretto and pairs well with the walk up to the castle.