Medieval village in the upper Val Nervia: the chibi alleys, the loggia, San Michele with Canavesio's polyptych, Buggio, Pigna beans and trails.
Welcome to Pigna
Pigna is a medieval village in the upper Val Nervia, in the hinterland behind Ventimiglia and Bordighera, about 20 km from the sea. Its stone houses tumble down the hillside, linked by steep alleys and covered passages, with the church of San Michele and its great rose window at the top. Together with the hamlet of Buggio, higher up the valley, it is one of the gateways to the Parco naturale regionale delle Alpi Liguri.
The village lies at 280 metres above sea level and has around 750 inhabitants. It holds the Touring Club Italiano’s Bandiera Arancione (Orange Flag), the label for small, well-kept and welcoming inland villages. People come here for the alleys and the churches with works by Giovanni Canavesio, for the trails up to Monte Toraggio and for Pigna’s white beans, a Slow Food Presidium.
Pigna’s history is that of a border town. Between the 12th and 13th centuries the Counts of Ventimiglia built a castle here, at the crossroads of the routes between the coast, Triora and the interior. In 1388 the village passed to the House of Savoy, while neighbouring Castel Vittorio remained Genoa’s stronghold in the valley. In 1944, for little more than a month, it was the capital of the partisan Free Republic of Pigna. Take care not to confuse it with La Pigna in Sanremo, which is that town’s old quarter.
Pigna is in Liguria (Riviera di Ponente, Riviera dei Fiori, province of Imperia).
What to see
You can walk round the centre in a couple of hours. It is best to climb up to piazza Castello and then wander down through the alleys towards the loggia and the church of San Michele. Outside the centre are the Ponte delle Grazie, the ruins of San Tommaso and the hamlet of Buggio.
Pigna’s alleys are called chibi: narrow, steep and often shady passages that climb to the highest part of the village. Many run beneath the houses, others turn into flights of steps. As you walk you come across slate doorways, little squares and glimpses of the valley.
This is the highest point of the village, where the castle of the Counts of Ventimiglia once stood. It is surrounded by noble palazzi with slate doorways. From here the alleys lead down to the rest of the village.
The 15th-century loggia opens onto piazza XX Settembre, the village’s old square, and links the castle area with the church of San Michele. Damaged in 1944, it was rebuilt after the war in its original style. People still stop under its vaults today to look out over the valley.
The parish church dominates the village from above. It was built by the master builder Giorgio De Lancia from Como over an older core, with a three-aisled plan. The black stone façade has a statue of St Michael and the dragon in the lunette, the first signed work by Giovanni Gagini (1450), and above it a large marble rose window. The square bell tower ends in a pyramid-shaped spire.
Inside, the 1965 restoration uncovered the black stone columns and pointed arches. In the presbytery is the San Michele polyptych by Giovanni Canavesio, dating from 1500, with 36 panels in a gilded wooden frame. The church also holds an Annunciation by Carlo Maratta, which comes from the sanctuary of Passoscio.
This small church, built between the late 14th and early 15th centuries, contains a cycle of frescoes by Giovanni Canavesio, the Piedmontese painter who worked in many churches of the Maritime Alps. It was restored in the 1930s. To see the interior, ask at the Comune (town hall) or the parish.
The ethnographic museum, opened in 1995 in piazza XX Settembre, tells the story of 19th-century peasant life in the upper Val Nervia. Five rooms, covering about 200 square metres, are devoted to sheep farming and lavender distilling, to faith, to craftsmen, to the wheat harvest, and to oil and wine, with tools, everyday objects, photos and documents.
Opening hours change with the season and visits are often by appointment only, so contact the Comune di Pigna beforehand.
The old 16th-century stone bridge has the chapel of the Madonna delle Grazie beside it. It is a short walk from the centre and a good spot for photographing the village from below.
About a kilometre from the village stand the ruins of the ancient parish church of San Tommaso. You can still make out the apses, the façade and the left aisle with its pointed arches.
The sanctuary is reached along an avenue lined with fifteen small chapels marking the Stations of the Passion. Inside are many ex-votos, a sign of the valley’s popular devotion.
In the Lago Pigo area a sulphur spring rises at about 32 degrees. It has been known since ancient times and was used as a spa from 1844. The spa complex and hotel have been closed since 2016 and are now owned by a private group: many online guides still list them as open, but today no treatments or bathing are possible.
Pigna’s only hamlet lies at 482 metres, about 5 km further up, among the mountains of the upper valley. It is a small stone village with a few dozen inhabitants that has remained rural and pastoral. The church of San Siagrio, the only one in the world dedicated to this bishop of Nice, looks onto the main square. The parish church is dedicated to San Giovanni Battista.
Buggio is also a starting point for hikes into the Ligurian Alps.
Near Pigna lies the Grotta dei Rugli, one of the largest and best-known caves in the area. It is not a show cave: it can only be visited with experienced cavers and the right equipment.
Where to stay
In Pigna and Buggio you will mostly find holiday homes, apartments in old stone houses and a few B&Bs. It is the right choice if you are looking for peace and quiet, trails and starry skies, but there are few places: in summer and on spring bank-holiday weekends, book well ahead. The Comune charges a tourist tax.
If you prefer more facilities, you can stay on the coast in Bordighera or Ventimiglia and come up to Pigna for the day, or choose a nearby village in the valley such as Dolceacqua.
Nearby alternative
Looking for more choice? Down by the sea is Bordighera, with hotels, B&Bs and apartments and trains along the coast and to France.
Getting there
Leave the A10 motorway at Bordighera (or Sanremo) and drive up the Val Nervia towards Dolceacqua and Isolabona. From Isolabona the SP64 provincial road climbs to Pigna and continues towards Castel Vittorio. For Buggio, follow the signs from the village. The road is winding on the last stretch, so allow a few minutes more than expected.
Pigna has no railway. The nearest stations are Ventimiglia and Bordighera on the Genoa–Ventimiglia line; from there continue by bus or car.
Riviera Trasporti links the coast with the upper Val Nervia. Services are infrequent, especially on Sundays and public holidays: check the latest timetables on rivieratrasporti.it before you set off.
The nearest airport is Nice Côte d’Azur, about 60 km away. From there, drive along the motorway towards Ventimiglia and then up the valley.
The old town is made up of steep alleys and steps and can only be explored on foot. Leave your car in the roadside spaces on the edge of the village, following the signs, and walk up. The same goes for Buggio: park at the entrance to the hamlet.
By car
A10, Bordighera exit; Val Nervia to Isolabona, then SP64
By train
No railway: Ventimiglia or Bordighera stations, then Riviera Trasporti bus
By plane
Nice Côte d'Azur (about 60 km)
The guide
Pigna is surrounded by woods, streams and mountains, and makes a good base for walking in the Parco naturale regionale delle Alpi Liguri.
Before setting off, check the weather and trail conditions, carry enough water and do not head into the mountains on weather-alert days.
Pigna’s cooking is the mountain cuisine of western Liguria: pulses, sheep’s cheeses, herbs and olive oil.
Weather
Spring and autumn; summer for the trails and the cool valley air
Forecast: MET Norway (Yr), CC BY 4.0 licence. Updated hourly.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea | Off season | Off season | Off season | Off season | Possible | Good | Ideal | Ideal | Good | Possible | Off season | Off season |
| Sightseeing and hiking | Possible | Possible | Good | Ideal | Ideal | Ideal | Good | Good | Ideal | Ideal | Good | Possible |
| Crowds | Quiet | Quiet | Few people | Few people | Few people | Few people | Busy | Very busy | Few people | Few people | Quiet | Quiet |
| Don't miss | San Filippo festival | |||||||||||
IdealGoodPossibleOff season
Crowds:QuietFew peopleBusyVery busy
Gallery
FAQ
The chibi and piazza Castello, the Loggia della Piazza Vecchia, the church of San Michele with Giovanni Canavesio’s polyptych, the church of San Bernardo, the Museo La Terra e la Memoria, the Ponte delle Grazie and the hamlet of Buggio with the church of San Siagrio.
No. The Lago Pigo spa and its hotel have been closed since 2016. The sulphur spring still exists, but today no spa treatments or bathing are possible.
Two or three hours are enough for the village. With Buggio, the museum and a walk to the Ponte delle Grazie you can fill a whole day. For mountain hikes it is worth staying at least one night.
Pigna is an independent municipality in the upper Val Nervia. La Pigna in Sanremo, on the other hand, is the name of Sanremo’s medieval old town, on the coast.
By train to Ventimiglia or Bordighera, then on the Riviera Trasporti buses that run up the Val Nervia. Services are infrequent: check the timetables before you set off.
In the roadside spaces on the edge of the village. The old town is pedestrian by nature, made up of alleys and steps.
Small, oval white beans with a thin skin, grown on the terraces of the upper Val Nervia and protected by a Slow Food Presidium. The typical dish is capra e fagioli (goat and beans).
The main square with the church of San Siagrio, the only one in the world dedicated to this saint, the parish church of San Giovanni Battista and the stone alleys. Trails into the Ligurian Alps also start from Buggio.
About 20 km. The nearest coast is at Bordighera, Vallecrosia and Ventimiglia, where the Val Nervia meets the sea.
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