Taggia between Carrugi, Churches and Coast

Taggia combines historic civic architecture and churches with narrow carrugi leading up the hillside. In Arma di Taggia, a coastal landscape with white sandy beaches and maritime activities completes the picture. This destination thus brings historic spaces, religious art, local traditions and sporting experiences into close proximity, without reducing Taggia to just one facet.

Historic Centre and Sacred Architecture

In Taggia’s historic centre, the narrow carrugi shape the route through the town. They lead up the hillside and combine with historic civic architecture and churches to create a distinctive townscape. One particularly notable street is Via Soleri, also known as Pantàn. The monumental arcaded street has a slate pavement and was developed as part of the town’s urban planning in the 15th century.

The Dominican monastery complex in Taggia is part of the town’s religious heritage. It was founded following the preaching of Father Cristoforo da Milano. The Basilica della Madonna Miracolosa preserves elaborate Baroque furnishings as well as paintings by Luca Cambiaso and Francesco Brea. Historic Taggia therefore offers several different ways to experience architecture and art: from the medieval character of its streets and lanes to the monastery complex and the Baroque design of a basilica.

Churches and Works of Art from Several Periods

The church of Santa Maria del Canneto dates back to the early Middle Ages and was remodelled several times, particularly in the 12th century. Madonna del Canneto is considered a typical example of 12th-century architecture; its interior walls preserve frescoes by Giovanni Cambiaso. These two chronological layers show how the architectural form and artistic decoration of a sacred place can develop over a long period.

The Pinacoteca del Convento dei Padri Domenicani is located in the ground-floor rooms of the Dominican monastery, beside a 15th-century cloister. There, it displays fragments of polyptychs by Francesco and Lodovico Brea. The museum tour continues in the nearby church of Nostra Signora della Misericordia. Its high altar features Lodovico Brea’s Polittico della Misericordia. Visitors interested in painting and historic interiors will find several interconnected sites here.

Arma di Taggia: Beach and Water Sports

Arma di Taggia has sandy beaches with white sand extending for more than one kilometre. The coastal town is a destination for windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing, diving and sport fishing. This range of activities caters to different interests on the water, while the length and white sand of the beaches clearly define the coastal character.

An alternative cycle path connects Arma, at the level of the Darsena harbour basin, with the historic centre of Taggia and runs along the Torrente Argentina. When planning a day in the destination, this connection is a distinct local feature: it places Arma, the Darsena harbour basin, the river course and the historic centre within a shared spatial context, without dissolving the different characters of the coast and the old town.

Festivals, Rituals and Moscatello

Taggia has celebrated the feast of Saint Benedict every year since the first celebration on 12 February 1626. Another tradition is the Ballo della morte, a ritual involving dance and music that evokes the agricultural cycle of death and the rebirth of nature. Both customs represent a local character in which religious celebration and symbolic representation coexist.

The Moscatello of the Taggia subzone is also one of the region’s distinctive features. It is made from 100 % Moscato bianco and comes in the types Frizzante, vendemmia tardiva and Passito. When choosing a hotel in Taggia, these features can be linked to different interests: the historic centre, with its carrugi, churches, monastery and Pinacoteca, appeals to culture-oriented days, while Arma di Taggia focuses on beaches, water sports and the connection along the Torrente Argentina.

Other Places in the Surrounding Area

For your regional orientation, you can also include Perinaldo, Pantasina, Pietrabruna, Valloria, Ospedaletti, Ville San Pietro, Imperia and Bordighera in your plans.

To the overarching travel overview: Imperia.