The best walks and hikes around Pietrabruna

ancient extinct volcano, site of an infamous nazi-fascist massacre, seat of an ancient fortified village. so much history in a few steps.

Pietrabruna owes its name to the color of the stone used to build its first buildings at the end of the 11th century

Beautiful scenic trail on which you can occasionally encounter cows or horses

Mounts Follia, Faudo, and Arbozzaro are also linked to a painful history: the massacre of August 17, 1944, when Nazi-Fascists killed 13 farmers mowing hay. The first to die was at the Passo della Follia, Muratorio G.B., aged 29. Two small monuments commemorate him: one just below the summit of Mount Faudo, among wild horses and silent meadows, and the other in the saddle of Mount Follia. Passing through here isn't just a matter of cycling: it's a matter of sensations, scents, and stories. During those days, the partisans of Badalucco were holding German positions in Taggia under fire. In retaliation, the Germans organized a punitive expedition that—as too often—blindly targeted innocent people. The first investigation, by La Stampa, speaks of German Alpine troops from the IV Battalion, “Hochgebirgsjäger” (Meeralpen Battalion, Major von Ruffin, active in the Ligurian Alps, http://digilander.libero.it/historiamilitaria/strauss_hochgebirgs.htm): they were most likely the ones who killed the thirteen civilians (other sources speak of eleven). Bianca Rimbaudo, 85 years old at the time of the interview and a survivor of the massacre, recounts that an officer ordered the women to be spared; while she was returning with her mother, the Black Brigades fired, but from a distance. She also recalls Alfiore Ranise, then a boy, who escaped thanks to his sister who begged the Germans for mercy. In a conversation with Maurizio Vezzaro, he recalled that morning of September 17, 1944, saying: “Germans? Yes, there were Germans, but also Italians.” Another witness pretended to be dead in a ravine and died only a few years ago, with two buckshot pellets still lodged in his back. A long-forgotten massacre, reconstructed thanks to the few survivors and other accounts: traces online are few and confusing. Even an investigation by the Carabinieri helped clarify the situation, gathering testimonies that led to the identification of the battalion responsible. Two German soldiers still alive were tracked down and convicted of war crimes, not imprisoned due to their age.

There's something mystical about Mount Faudo: a trail of ancient stories, far back in time. Today, it's best known for the marathon trail that climbs from Imperia to its summit and for the antennas dotting it; yet for centuries, it was a contested land between the church, neighboring states, and the villages on its slopes. Since the ancient Ligurians, well before the Romans. It shares this burden with Mount Follia and Mount Sette Fontane. The oldest evidence of human settlement in the Dolcedo area is near Mount Follia, a conical peak on the southern slope of Mount Faudo. Traces of metalworking have emerged there, with furnaces and residential structures, dating back to the Iron Age castellari, fortifications placed high up for observation and defense, in visual contact with other castellari in the area. Today, the site is abandoned: one can still walk and imagine the defensive landscape of the ancient Ligurians.

a small and very ancient frescoed chapel, located at the crossroads of the roads to Pietrabruna, the Sanctuary of Lampedusa, Boscomare and the top of Faudo. Inside there are some rather ruined frescoes dating back to 1481. The church is a rare example of architectural separation that was once common, intended to separate the men's area from the women's area.

of the town there are three important things to visit: the castle, of which little remains in the central square, the adjacent church of Romanesque structure and the underlying fortified church just below the town. Witnesses of the importance of Lingueglietta as a fortified village halfway up the hill. The Via della Costa in gravel passes through here, as well as the numerous descents towards the sea on mule tracks with the MTB.

Pietrabruna is a charming village located in the hinterland of the province of Imperia, in Liguria. Nestled among the hills of the Riviera dei Fiori, the village offers breathtaking views of the valley and the sea. The historic center of Pietrabruna is characterized by narrow stone streets, traditional houses with colorful facades and a small square that invites you to calm down and discover. The village is also known for its agricultural tradition, in particular for the production of high-quality olive oil. The natural beauty that surrounds it makes it an ideal destination for excursions and walks in the greenery, with paths that allow you to explore the typical flora of the area.