Cervo

Cervo is a beautifully preserved medieval hill village rising above the sea in Imperia province on the western Riviera, and is counted among I Borghi piu belli d'Italia. A cone of pastel and stone houses climbs the slope within the line of its 16th-century defensive walls, threaded by steep stepped lanes and arched passages, and crowned by the Baroque church of San Giovanni Battista, known as the Chiesa dei Corallini after the coral fishermen whose trade once funded it. Its concave golden facade and curved steps form the village's signature image. Visitors come to wander the car-free lanes, browse small artisan shops, visit the Clavesana castle that houses the local ethnographic museum, and enjoy the sweeping views over the Ligurian Sea from the ramparts and church terrace. A visit takes one to two hours. Each summer the church steps become an open-air stage for the celebrated International Chamber Music Festival, founded in 1964, when concerts are held under the stars against the floodlit facade. The concave church front, especially at dusk, and the view down over the rooftops to the sea, are the standout photographs. Cervo sits just above the coast road between Imperia and Andora, reached by car or bus with parking outside the walls, the nearest stations being San Bartolomeo al Mare or Diano Marina. It is busiest on summer evenings and during the festival; spring and autumn days are quiet. This handsome, unspoilt borgo is one of the most rewarding villages in western Liguria.