Villages of Liguria
Lingueglietta: a village to discover
January 19, 2022
If you have never heard of it, don't worry: Lingueglietta is far from the busiest streets of the Ligurian Riviera, but we like it just for this reason! Reserved and solitary, in fact, it has been clinging to a hill for centuries, from which it can be admired by anyone passing through the San Lorenzo valley.
It rightly ranks as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, and we would like our flat guests to discover why, if only through our story.
How to get to Lingueglietta
Lingueglietta is a small hamlet in the municipality of Cipressa, in the province of Imperia. It is very easy to get there from our farmholidays, and you will only need 40 minutes!
Simply turn back towards San Bartolomeo al Mare and take the motorway towards San Lorenzo al Mare, take the exit towards Imperia Ovest and, at the roundabout, follow the third exit towards Via Littardi. After going straight for about 1.5 kilometres, turn right to take the SS1 and continue for another 4 kilometres. Then just follow the signs for Cipressa and Lingueglietta.
After a few bends you arrive at the village, which welcomes us with its main square, overlooked by the church dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on one side and the ruins of the castle on the other. From here we begin our walk through the caruggi of Lingueglietta.
The history of Lingueglietta
The name of this pretty village comes from the Lengueglia family, one of the most important feudal dynasties of the territory. It was Anselmo Quaranta who acquired it from the Marquises of Clavesana in the 12th century, sanctioning his family's dominion over Lingueglietta until the Napoleonic era.
The history of the village was not a trivial one, if we think that it was the place where the political and economic dynamics of the valley converged. It became the seat of a count and even participated in the Battle of Meloria, sending 60 sailors and 4 helmsmen to help Genoa.
As already told about Colla Micheri, Lingueglietta was also on the route travelled by Pope Pius VII in 1814, after the fall of Napoleon, who took him back to Rome after his imprisonment in France. The chronicles tell of great celebrations in his honour by the population.
Read also - A tour to discover Andora and the Merula Valley
The history of Lingueglietta follows the events of the Risorgimento that led it to become part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, while it became part of the municipality of Cipressa in 1928, following the reorganization of local authorities in the fascist era.
What to see in the streets of Lingueglietta
After parking your car, you can't miss the beautiful view of the sea, thanks to the village's elevated position. Then head towards the historic centre, passing the parish church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. This is a building that declares its various construction phases in its different architectural features. Starting from the façade, with the Renaissance elevations at the two side aisles; the 16th century portico protecting the early 17th century portal, to the details of the Baroque interior furnishings.
Continue towards the characteristic streets of the village, narrow and with the stone houses almost leaning against each other. In most cases they are vertically arranged and have pretty doorways, all surrounded by plants. The Ligurian caruggi are like a large living room that unites private and public, an extension of the houses outwards. Foreign tourists are easily intrigued by this care for the common spaces, which smacks of an ancient welcome.
In the area of the Town Hall we find the ancient market: a historical space of great importance, among other things adjacent to a small square that allows a breathtaking view of the coast.
Of certain interest are the measures, that is to say the indentations in the stone that were used to contain liquids or solids in order to establish their weight.
The other building not to be missed in Lingueglietta is the church of San Pietro, an imposing construction with an almost militaristic architecture. The very name by which it is called on the tourist boards tells us this: "Fortress Church"; but we can also easily see it from the extremely high façade, culminating in a lead-in and covered guard posts. The need to change the shape of a place of worship to make it a fortress stems from the particular situation of political uncertainty in the 16th century, when barbarian incursions were frequent and extremely violent. This explains its shape, therefore, established to create a defence system and face the danger coming from the sea.
At this point you can decide whether to continue up the slope that leads to the starting point, or to continue the tour through the historic caruggi, perhaps stopping to make friends with the many cats that you can meet in the streets of Lingueglietta. Or you could continue beyond the castle towards the more modern part of Lingueglietta, which is also full of charm.
We visited a village with medieval roots, in which, however, you can read the various historical stratifications. A little trip back in time, in short, to discover another small portion of western Liguria!
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