{"id":63125,"date":"2026-10-22T06:09:02","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T06:09:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/italian-riviera.com\/liguria\/cairo-montenotte\/"},"modified":"2026-10-22T06:12:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T06:12:00","slug":"cairo-montenotte","status":"publish","type":"localita","link":"https:\/\/italian-riviera.com\/en\/riviera-di-ponente\/cairo-montenotte\/","title":{"rendered":"Cairo Montenotte"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cairo Montenotte is the main town of the Val Bormida in the province of Savona: about 13,000 inhabitants at 330 metres above sea level, on the valley floor of the Bormida di Spigno, roughly 20 km from Savona and the sea. It is the most populous town in Liguria with no coastline. Let’s be clear from the start: this is not a picture-postcard village. It is a valley town with a long industrial history, and the sheds of Ferrania, Bragno and San Giuseppe are as much part of the landscape as the woods.<\/p>\n

People come for three things, and each stands up on its own. The medieval old town, small but easy to read, with two gates, arcades and the ruins of a castle on the hill. The Ferrania Film Museum in Palazzo Scarampi, which tells the story of the Ferrania film factory, the hamlet that made the history of Italian photography. And the surrounding area: the Adelasia nature reserve, the sites of the 1796 Battle of Montenotte, and a valley that lends itself to day trips to Altare and Millesimo.<\/p>\n

The name \u00abCairo Montenotte\u00bb is recent: in 1863 a royal decree added the second word in memory of the battle of 11\u201312 April 1796, Napoleon’s first victory in the Italian campaign. The first document to mention Cairum<\/em> dates from 967. The writer Giuseppe Cesare Abba was born here. Don’t look for sea, beaches or nightlife: the coast at Savona<\/a> is half an hour away, and that is where to stay if you need the sea. For one theme, but a strong one, read our feature Ferrania: the film factory and the Ferrania Film Museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What to see in Cairo Montenotte<\/h2>\n
\"Cairo<\/figure>\n

You can walk round the old town in an hour; with the castle and the museum, allow half a day. Ferrania, Rocchetta and Montenotte are hamlets a few kilometres away: you need a car for those. A sensible order is this: station, old town, castle, Palazzo Scarampi for the museum; then Ferrania and, if you have more time, the Adelasia reserve.<\/p>\n

The old town: via Roma and via dei Portici<\/h3>\n
\"Una<\/figure>\n

The old core is rectangular and is crossed by via Roma, the main street, lined with stately buildings. Lower down, towards the river, is via dei Portici, with arches and covered passages. If you arrive by train, the station is a few steps away, so you can start here without a car.<\/p>\n

Porta Soprana and Porta Sottana<\/h3>\n
\"Una<\/figure>\n

Two gates survive from the medieval walls: Porta Soprana, with a tower, at the southern end of via Roma, and Porta Sottana, to the north. Sources date Porta Soprana differently, between the 12th and 15th centuries (one entry says 14th): don’t rely on a single date. They are the two most photographed spots in town, and the best place to understand how the village was laid out: one street, two gates, the castle above. Stretches of the town walls also remain.<\/p>\n

Piazza Stellani and the Palazzo Marchionale<\/h3>\n
\"La<\/figure>\n

Piazza Stellani is overlooked by the Palazzo Marchionale, a building of medieval origin with an old sundial on its fa\u00e7ade. You see it from outside; there is no confirmed information about visits inside. From the squares and streets of the centre you get a good view of the castle ruins on the hill.<\/p>\n

The castle ruins<\/h3>\n
\"I<\/figure>\n

Cairo castle, which belonged to the Del Carretto family from 1214, is now a ruin on a sandstone spur at about 380 metres, above the centre. It was destroyed in the 17th century, during the war between Genoa and the House of Savoy; sources give 1625 or 1627, and the date of construction is also uncertain (between the 11th and 13th centuries). You climb from corso Verdese, taking the municipal road of Sant’Anna: from Porta Soprana the Touring Club gives about 10 minutes on foot. The climb is steep, and there is no waymarked path or opening time: wear suitable shoes, avoid it after rain and don’t go into the unsafe parts.<\/p>\n

The church of San Lorenzo<\/h3>\n
\"La<\/figure>\n

The parish church is dedicated to St Lawrence, the town’s patron saint (feast day 10 August). It is first mentioned in 1190; it was enlarged after the plague of 1630 and completed in 1642, and it is a national monument. Inside are frescoes by Paolo Gerolamo Brusco, statues by Antonio Brilla and a crucifix attributed to Anton Maria Maragliano. Opening hours are not confirmed: if it is closed, you can still see the bell tower and the fa\u00e7ade from the street.<\/p>\n

The sanctuary of the Grazie, San Sebastiano and San Rocco<\/h3>\n
\"L'ex<\/figure>\n

The sanctuary of Nostra Signora delle Grazie stands where, in Roman and early medieval times, there was a rustic villa and a Benedictine monastery: documents mention San Donato as early as 992. Near Porta Piemonte is the former oratory of San Sebastiano, and outside the walls the chapel of San Rocco, built after the plague of 1599. They are small buildings, handy for a stroll but best seen from outside: opening hours are not confirmed.<\/p>\n

Palazzo Scarampi and the Ferrania Film Museum<\/h3>\n
\"La<\/figure>\n

Palazzo Scarampi, from the 17th century, houses the town library and the Ferrania Film Museum, which tells the story of the Ferrania film factory through cameras, products, adverts and photographs. The visit follows the rooms: factory, company culture, design, the photographic and X-ray divisions, colour and cinema, the workers’ village. It is Cairo’s only museum, and worth the trip if you love photography or the history of work. The opening hours we found contradict each other and there is no clear official source: before you set out, write to ferraniafilmmuseum@gmail.com or check the museum website<\/a>. The whole story, and what you can actually see, is in our feature Ferrania Film Museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ferrania: factory, village and abbey<\/h3>\n
\"L'area<\/figure>\n

Ferrania is a hamlet at about 365 metres, with a railway station. The film factory was founded here in 1917 and for decades was a name in Italian photography and cinema. Part of the plant is now an industrial area, and FILM Ferrania still makes black-and-white film. It is not a park to visit: the factory has no regular tours, only occasional events. Ferrania is also home to the abbey founded in 1097, now the church of Santi Pietro e Paolo, and to the workers’ village built for the employees.<\/p>\n

Rocchetta Cairo<\/h3>\n
\"La<\/figure>\n

About 3 km from the centre, Rocchetta Cairo is a separate settlement: its castle is mentioned from 1235 and was damaged in the battle of Dego in 1794, and the parish church is dedicated to St Andrew. In late May or early June a re-enactment, the Rocchetta Medievale, is held here (2026 dates not confirmed).<\/p>\n

Giuseppe Cesare Abba and the 19th-century town<\/h3>\n

Cairo was the birthplace of Giuseppe Cesare Abba, patriot and writer, author of the diary \u00abDa Quarto al Volturno\u00bb about Garibaldi’s Expedition of the Thousand. In town there is also a plaque dedicated to Giuseppe Garibaldi.<\/p>\n

Montenotte and the battle of 1796<\/h3>\n
\"Montenotte<\/figure>\n

Montenotte Superiore is a hamlet about 15 km from the centre, at 659 metres, where on 11\u201312 April 1796 Napoleon’s French army defeated the Austro-Piedmontese. A rock memorial with a cross, put up in 1996 for the bicentenary, marks the spot of the former chapel of Santa Croce. The 1796 trenches are in the Adelasia reserve, at Bric Tesoro. We found no museum on the spot: it is a place of remembrance, for those who know the history or like battlefields.<\/p>\n

Adelasia reserve and walks<\/h2>\n
\"Cascina<\/figure>\n

The Adelasia regional nature reserve, established in 2009, is Cairo’s green area: about 1,370 hectares of beech woods, rocks and karst features above Ferrania, with the Rocca dell’Adelasia and the legend of the princess of the same name, who according to tradition fled to Liguria with Aleramo and founded Alassio. Inside is Cascina Miera, a farmhouse restored in 2014 that serves as a visitor centre and refuge on the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri. To get there: from the A6, exit Altare, then Carcare, Ferrania and Montenotte Superiore; the entrance to the reserve is on the left after about 5 km, with a car park, and a kilometre of dirt road on foot (about 10 minutes). The opening of Cascina Miera is reported inconsistently (some sources say spring and autumn, others all year round): call the Province of Savona (019 8313311) before going up. The reserve’s website lists trails no. 2 and no. 3; the routes most cited online, however, are amateur tracks with approximate lengths and times: look for the official map.<\/p>\n

Things to do in Cairo Montenotte<\/h2>\n

The biggest events are in July and August. Cairo Medievale, run by the Pro Loco, transforms the old town with music, food stalls, magic shows and street games: in 2025 it ran from 6 to 10 August, with corso Mazzini closed to traffic and a free shuttle, and it ends with fireworks on the night of St Lawrence, 10 August. The 2026 dates are not confirmed, but the pattern is stable. In July there is the Sagra della Tira (in 2025, 10 to 13). Other hamlet festivals fall in July and August: San Giacomo at Rocchetta, San Rocco at Carnovale, San Matteo at Ville. Check the dates on the Pro Loco and municipality channels.<\/p>\n

The rest of the year is quiet: Cairo is a town where people live, not one to have fun in on holiday. For a long weekend it is best combined with the museums and villages nearby (see the day trips).<\/p>\n

What to eat in Cairo Montenotte<\/h2>\n

The local dish is the tira: a loaf about 20 cm long of leavened dough baked around a sausage filling. Legend says it was born in Napoleon’s day, when soldiers rummaged through farmers’ pantries; there are no documents. At the sagra and at Cairo Medievale you also find lisotti, filled bruschetta and doughnuts, prepared by the Pro Loco stalls. We don’t name restaurants because we have no verified sources: ask at a caf\u00e9 or at the town hall, and book at weekends.<\/p>\n

Day trips from Cairo Montenotte<\/h2>\n