{"id":55362,"date":"2026-10-04T06:36:34","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T06:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/darkseagreen-rook-345411.hostingersite.com\/cosa-vedere\/bordighera-alta-2\/"},"modified":"2026-10-04T06:36:35","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T06:36:35","slug":"bordighera-alta","status":"publish","type":"punto_interesse","link":"https:\/\/italian-riviera.com\/en\/what-to-see\/bordighera-alta\/","title":{"rendered":"Bordighera Alta"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bordighera Alta is the medieval village of Bordighera, gathered within its walls on the hill of the Capo. From the sea it looks like a single block of pastel-coloured houses; inside it is a maze of carruggi (narrow lanes), arches and small squares where people dine outdoors in summer and stroll in silence in winter. It is the historic heart of the town and the place where it all began, in 1470.<\/p>\n

\"Bordighera<\/figure>\n

History of Bordighera Alta<\/h2>\n

The name “Burdigheta” already appears in a papal bull of Pope Boniface VIII from 1296 and probably comes from “bordiga”, the reed barrier used for fishing. For centuries the area depended on Ventimiglia, and its inhabitants lived higher up, at Borghetto San Nicol\u00f2.<\/p>\n

On 2 September 1470, gathered in the church of Borghetto, the heads of the families decided to refound the village on the headland of the Capo, closer to the sea and the fields: according to tradition they were thirty-two families of fishermen and farmers. The new village was fortified from the start, with walls and gates to defend it against pirate raids, and was strengthened in the 16th century. In 1683 Bordighera gained independence from Ventimiglia together with the other villages in the area.<\/p>\n

When the English arrived in the 19th century, the new town grew further down, along via Romana and the sea. The old village remained almost intact, which is why today it still has its 15th-century layout and atmosphere.<\/p>\n

What to see in Bordighera Alta<\/h2>\n

You can walk round the village in an hour, but it is worth taking your time: the charm lies in the details, from the stone doorways to the glimpses of the sea between the houses.<\/p>\n

The walls and gates<\/h3>\n

The village has an irregular pentagonal layout, enclosed by its 15th-century walls. You enter through the old gates: on the Capo side, towards Sant’Ampelio, and through the gates that open towards the new town. In many places the houses themselves act as a defensive wall, with windows only high up.<\/p>\n

Church of Santa Maria Maddalena<\/h3>\n

The parish church looks onto piazza del Popolo and was consecrated in 1617. Inside, the marble high altar and the statue of the Magdalene in glory are the work of the 18th-century Genoese sculptor Domenico Parodi. The bell tower rises above the rooftops of the village and can be seen from all over the Capo.<\/p>\n

Piazza del Popolo and the small squares<\/h3>\n

Piazza del Popolo is the living room of Bordighera Alta: the church, the colourful fa\u00e7ades and the restaurant tables. From here the carruggi lead to the smaller squares and to viewpoints over the sea, from which on clear days you can see the coast as far as Menton and Monaco.<\/p>\n

The Spianata del Capo and the Marabutto<\/h3>\n

Leaving the village towards the sea you reach the Spianata del Capo, a viewpoint among pines and palms. Here you will find the Marabutto, an old powder magazine with a dome shaped like a holy man’s tomb, and three old cannons nicknamed in dialect Butafoegu, Tiralogni and Cagastrasse. Further down, on the rocks, is the little Romanesque church of Sant’Ampelio<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The shops and carruggi<\/h3>\n

In the lanes you come across craft shops, small galleries and workshops. In the evening the village lights up with the restaurants in the squares: it is the most atmospheric place in Bordighera for dinner in summer.<\/p>\n

Bordighera Alta in an hour: the route<\/h2>\n