This village is across the railway line from the
Aurelia between Finale Ligure and Pietra Ligure. You enter into the new
part of the town, but forking left brings you towards the centro storico.
The town is made up of the two distinct settlements of Borgio, on the
coast, and Verezzi, in a marvelous panoramic position on the hill.
Formerly possessions of the bishop of Albenga, they came under the rule
of the Del Carretto of Finale for brief periods and were ceded to the
republic of Genoa by Pope Urban VI in 1385.
Borgio’s main attraction is
the cave of Valdemino, an underground complex that is open to visitors,
drawn by its delicate calcareous concretions and fascinating series of
small lakes.
These grottos have also contributed to
history as fossils of bears, elephants and saber toothed tigers have
been found here dating back 500.000 to 750.000 years ago.
The shrine of the Madonna del uon Consiglio is also
located at Borgio: dating from the twelfth-thirteenth century, it was
once a church dedicated to St. Stephen and St. Peter and still houses
fragments of frescoes from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
Other attractive features include the fine Gothic campanile with a spire, the
seventeenth-century portico and, not far off, the lookout tower known as
the Torrione, built in 1564.
At
Verezzi a number of the medieval houses have a structure that reveals
the influence of Saracen architecture.
The enchanting Piazza di Sant’Agostino, overlooking the sea, is used in the
summer to stage an open-air theater festival of international standing,
culminating in the award of the “Premio Veretium” to the best actor. The
event draws some of the most prestigious touring companies.
