Campo Ligure: Filigree Art, Local History and Nature in Beigua

Campo Ligure combines a centuries-old filigree tradition with a historic town centre and the protected landscape of Beigua. The town is a suitable destination for you if you would like to discover Italian culture through craftsmanship, sacred art, architectural history and nature. The museum, workshops, churches, castle complex and street plan reveal different aspects of the same travel destination.

Landscape and arrival

Campo Ligure is part of the Parco Naturale Regionale del Beigua, a protected area with geological, botanical, faunal and historical-cultural features. This means that, alongside the historic town centre, a clearly defined natural area is also at the heart of your stay. For your journey, the Campo Ligure railway station is a practical point of reference; it is located on the Genova Brignole–Ovada–Acqui Terme railway line.

Filigree as a defining craft tradition

The town’s distinctive craft tradition becomes tangible at the Museo della Filigrana. The museum was established in 1984 on the initiative of the public administration and with the important contribution of collector Pietro Carlo Bosio. It displays examples of local production as well as rare masterpieces collected across four continents. The perspective therefore extends from work in Campo Ligure to filigree pieces with an international collecting history.

In 1884, Antonio Oliveri opened a workshop for processing filigree in his hometown of Campo Ligure. The number of filigree workshops in Campo Ligure soon rose to 33. Even today, craftspeople in the workshops of Campo Ligure use “bruscelle”, pliers of various sizes, and a burner for soldering silver wires to create precious silver filigree work: filigree jewellery. Here, an early workshop history is connected with a craft that is still practised today.

Church and art in the historic town centre

The Chiesa della Natività is the oldest church in the historic town centre of Campo Ligure; its original forms date back to the 15th century. The definitive parish church was built between 1758 and 1762. The church contains a Pietà by Vittorio Amedeo Rapous from 1761. It also houses the altarpiece “Martirio di Santa Lucia”, attributed to Bernardo Strozzi, who probably originated from Campo Ligure. Thus, the Chiesa della Natività brings together original forms from the 15th century, a construction phase from the 18th century and two significant works.

Castle and Roman town centre

The Castello di Campo Ligure was fortified in the 10th century with a central tower. Its restored rooms serve as exhibition, meeting and documentation spaces, as well as venues for concerts and performances. A park around the Castello was restored with the aim of making it as usable as possible. The castle complex therefore combines the history of fortification with cultural spaces and a newly designed outdoor area.

The largely unchanged street plan of Campo Ligure’s town centre fully follows the Roman “campus” scheme. The structure of the centre adds another historical layer to the history of its churches and castle, and also makes the town interesting for visitors who are interested in urban development and ancient settlement forms.

Discover more places

Discover more places at Pedemonte, Bogliasco, Camogli, Casà, Prato, Genoa, Bargone and Pegli.

To the main travel overview: Genoa.