Cervo presents itself as a scenic cascade of colorful houses clinging to a rocky promontory, furrowed by steep narrow streets that descend to the sea and before reaching it turn into bold stairways, providing inimitable views to the delight of painters and photographers.
Our guided tour is a real storytelling of privateers, coral fishermen, knights of Malta and marquises. A thousand-year history, expertly told through the village's most important architectural testimonies. The 18th-century Avenue Palace reminds us of the role of the family in the maritime economy of the time while the’oratory of St. Catherine, fortified by the Knights of Malta and later the seat of local brotherhoods, makes us reflect on the importance of brotherhoods in Liguria in the Middle Ages; the Bastion and the remaining parts of the city walls take us back to a very troubled time for Liguria, always subject to raids by first Saracen and then Ottoman pirates.
Of all the monuments, the most important is surely the Parish Church of St. John the Baptist, one of the most important examples of ligurian baroque architecture, which overlooks a wonderful square open to the sea. The church, known as church of the Corallini, tells us that for centuries the main activity of the villagers was coral fishing between Corsica and Sardinia. From the proceeds of this fishing, the inhabitants decided to have a church dedicated to St. John the Baptist built.
Continuing to climb the streets of the village, one reaches the Castle of the Marquises Clavesana which dominated the territory of the Gulf of Diano in the 13th century. Today the castle is home to a museum center and the village information point.
All around the narrow, tall pastel-colored houses in the Ligurian style give an undisputed charm to the village, which rightfully ranks among Italy's Most Beautiful Villages And certainly among the most beautiful in Liguria.
The scenic Corallini Square has been the setting for more than 60 years of the famous International Chamber Music Festival also known as “Deer Festival”. The idea for this music festival came from Hungarian violinist Sandor Vegh, who saw great potential in the unique concave facade of St. John's Church. Thanks to this curious architectural peculiarity, the acoustics in the square are perfect.
Also discover our hiking from Andora to Cervo
The guided tour of Deer can be combined with:
- guided tour of Alassio e Laigueglia To stay in the sphere of coral countries.
- guided tour of Imperia
