Balestrino

Discover Balestrino

In 1963 a landslide forced the evacuation of the upper part of Balestrino, leaving the old village uninhabited and intact in its sixteenth- and seventeenth-century structure. Today the municipality has 530 residents, spread between the modern settlement in the valley below and the hillside hamlets, at 371 metres above sea level on the ridge separating the Neva valley from the coast of Loano. Anyone wondering what to see in Balestrino will find a rare case in the Italian landscape: an abandoned historic centre that preserves its original urban layout — accessible but not habitable — alongside a living community that continues to occupy the surrounding territory.

History and origins of Balestrino

The place name Balestrino appears in medieval documents from the eleventh century onwards, when the territory fell under the jurisdiction of the Marquises of Clavesana. The etymology remains debated: some theories connect it to “balestrieri” (crossbowmen) who guarded the hill pass, while others trace it to a corruption of the Latin balistrum, referring to a fortification site. In 1270 the fief passed to the Marquises Del Carretto, who held it until the sixteenth century, when the Marquises of Zuccarello took over. The construction of the Del Carretto castle, still visible at the top of the old village, dates to this period of feudal transition.

With the transfer to the Republic of Genoa in the seventeenth century, Balestrino became a minor agricultural centre, tied to olive cultivation and oil production. The parish church dedicated to Saint Andrew, patron of the village, was enlarged in the eighteenth century. The earthquake of 1887, which hit western Liguria hard, damaged several structures in the upper village, but it was the hydrogeological instability of the twentieth century that sealed its fate: the evacuation orders of the 1960s shifted the population toward the valley floor, creating the divide between old and new village that defines the identity of the place today.

Since 2005 the Municipality and the Soprintendenza have launched survey and safety-consolidation campaigns for the abandoned centre, with the aim of making some sections walkable. The work is proceeding in phases, constrained by the structural complexity of the buildings and the morphology of the slope.

What to see in Balestrino: 5 main attractions

1. The abandoned old village

The historic centre evacuated in the 1960s presents façades in local stone, slate doorways and collapsed roofs that reveal the interiors of the houses. Access is partially regulated: some perimeter streets can be walked, while the core of the village remains off-limits for structural safety reasons. The view from outside reveals a compact building mass, layered between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries.

2. The castle of the Marquises Del Carretto

Positioned at the highest point of the old village, the castle has an irregular plan adapted to the rock and perimeter walls in limestone ashlar blocks. The main tower, still recognisable in the skyline, served as a lookout over the Neva valley. The building is currently undergoing structural consolidation and cannot be visited inside, but its bulk dominates every view of the village.

3. Church of Sant’Andrea Apostolo

The parish church, located in the new village, retains its eighteenth-century layout with a single nave and polychrome marble side altars. The façade is plain, plastered, with a stone portal. Inside there are liturgical furnishings dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The patronal feast is celebrated on 30 November and is the main community event in the village.

4. The hill trails towards Monte Acuto

From the hamlet of Balestrino, hiking trails climb the ridge towards Monte Acuto (867 m), passing through strips of abandoned olive groves and woods of holm oak and downy oak. The moderate elevation gain — around 500 metres from the starting point — makes the walks accessible to occasional hikers as well. Along the route you encounter dry-stone walls and the ruins of agricultural shelters.

5. The terraces and historic olive groves

The terraced strips surrounding the village document centuries of Ligurian hillside farming. Some are still cultivated with Taggiasca olives, while others show the signs of gradual abandonment, with wild vegetation reclaiming the dry-stone walls. The agrarian landscape is particularly easy to read in the winter months, when the olive canopy thins out and the structure of the terraces stands out sharply.

Local cuisine and regional products

Balestrino’s food economy revolves around extra virgin olive oil from the Taggiasca cultivar, the same variety that characterises the entire Riviera di Ponente and falls within the DOP Riviera Ligure designation. Local production is limited in volume — a few hundred quintals per year — but follows the traditional method of hand-picking and cold pressing. In the area’s olive mills, active between November and January, it is possible to buy fresh oil directly from the producer.

The table reflects the cuisine of the Savona hinterland: Ligurian-style rabbit with Taggiasca olives and pine nuts, green pie with chard and prescinseua, Recco-style focaccia in local variations, and Genoese minestrone in its thick version, with pesto added at the end of cooking. Dining options in the municipality are limited to a few trattorias and agriturismos in the hamlets; for a wider choice you head down to Loano or Borghetto Santo Spirito, both reachable in fifteen minutes by car.

When to visit Balestrino: the best time of year

Spring, between April and June, offers the most favourable conditions: mild temperatures at altitude, dry trails, olive groves in bloom. Autumn is the other recommended window, especially October and November, when the olive harvest brings the countryside to life and the low afternoon light picks out the volumes of the abandoned village with precision. Summer brings heat even on the hills, with peaks above 30 degrees, and the valley floor becomes muggy. Winter is mild compared to the Po Valley hinterland — temperatures rarely drop below zero — but the short days limit the useful time for excursions.

The feast of Sant’Andrea, on 30 November, is the occasion when the community gathers for a procession and a communal lunch. There are currently no structured events linked to the old village, although in recent years some guided tours have been organised during FAI Open Days or one-off municipal initiatives. It is advisable to check the official website of the Municipality for any special openings.

What to see in Balestrino and in nearby Ligurian villages

The Savona hinterland and the Ligurian Levante share a network of smaller centres worth exploring in combination. To the east, along the coast towards Genoa, Coreglia Ligure lies in the hinterland of Chiavari, in the Fontanabuona valley: a municipality of just a few dozen permanent residents, with a compact building layout and a panoramic position over the valley. The distance from Balestrino is significant — over 120 kilometres — but comparing the two villages reveals similar dynamics of depopulation and recovery efforts.

Closer by, still in the province of Imperia but easily reachable from the Savona coast, Diano Arentino occupies the hills above Diano Marina. The landscape is dominated by Taggiasca olive groves, with terracing similar to that of Balestrino but in a more actively cultivated state. Visitors to Balestrino can add Diano Arentino as part of a day trip along the Riviera di Ponente, covering around 40 kilometres by coast road or motorway.