Apricale, Medieval village in Nervia Valley, Liguria, Italy
The stone village sits at 291 meters elevation, featuring narrow streets that wind through clusters of traditional houses with pointed arch doorways.
The Lizard Castle, constructed in the 10th century as a defensive structure, contains two towers that remain standing after centuries of regional conflicts.
The Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli contains extensive 15th-century frescoes covering the interior walls, displaying regional religious art techniques.
Visitors can reach Apricale by taking a 30-minute drive from the coastal city of Ventimiglia, with parking available at the village entrance.
Local restaurants serve pansarola, a traditional pancake-style dessert that residents dip in warm eggnog following centuries-old recipes.
Location: Province of Imperia
Capital city: Apricale
Elevation above the sea: 291 m
Shares border with: Bajardo, Dolceacqua, Isolabona, Perinaldo, Pigna, Rocchetta Nervina, Sanremo, Castel Vittorio
Address: 18035 Apricale, Province of Imperia, Italy
Website: https://comune.apricale.im.it
GPS coordinates: 43.88053,7.66048
Latest update: July 17, 2025 08:57
Liguria stretches as a narrow coastal strip between the Maritime Alps and the Apennines, combining maritime tradition with mountainous interior. Along the Riviera di Ponente in the west lie towns such as Dolceacqua with its medieval Doria Castle, the fortified town of Noli, and the Hanbury Botanical Gardens near La Mortola. The Riviera di Levante in the east features the Cinque Terre National Park with its coastal villages, Portofino with Castello Brown, and the Baia del Silenzio in Sestri Levante. Finalborgo preserves its medieval structure within the walls of Finale Ligure, while Vernazza with the Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia above the harbor belongs to the Cinque Terre. Inland valleys such as Valle Argentina lead to mountain villages that have maintained their historic architecture. Triora sits at 2,559 feet (780 meters) in the Ligurian Alps, Apricale displays stone alleys and vaulted passages, and Cervo perches above the coast between Imperia and Alassio. Bussana Vecchia was abandoned after an 1887 earthquake and later resettled by artists. Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena clusters around a medieval fortress. The Grotte di Toirano and Borgio Verezzi Caves offer geological formations with stalactites and stalagmites. Montemarcello-Magra Regional Park extends between the coast at Montemarcello and the Magra Valley, while Palmaria Island lies off Portovenere with the Doria Tower. Genoa's Porto Antico connects the historic harbor with modern cultural facilities.
Doria castle in Dolceacqua
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Monte Bignone
5.9 km
Parco naturale regionale delle Alpi Liguri
14.4 km
Castello della Lucertola
57 m
Monte Toraggio
10.6 km
Monte Ceppo
10.2 km
San Michele Arcangelo
5.9 km
Borghetto Viaduct
8.9 km
V Settore di Copertura Media Roja
14.6 km
Sant'Antonio Abate
4.4 km
I Settore di Copertura Bassa Roja
9.8 km
San Bernardo
5.9 km
Église de la Madone del Poggio
14.3 km
Church Sancta-Maria-in-Albis
13.4 km
Sasso Viaduct
9.3 km
Palazzo dei monaci
6.7 km
Pinacoteca Rambaldi
9.4 km
Porte d'Italie
13.1 km
Chapelle Saint-Antoine-l'Ermite de Breil-sur-Roya
13.1 km
Chapelle Sainte-Catherine de Breil-sur-Roya
13.1 km
Église Saint-Marc de Piène-Haute
11.9 km
San Giorgio
4.8 km
Chapelle des Pénitents blancs de Piène-Haute
12 km
Medieval bridge on the Nervia
4.4 km
Polyptych of Santa Devota
4.5 km
Torre Saracena
8.2 km
Castello dei Doria
1.6 km
Chapelle de la Miséricorde des Pénitents noirs de Breil-sur-Roya
13.4 kmReviews
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