Bardino Vecchio: Churches, Castello dei Folchi and Paths through Olive Groves

Bardino Vecchio between Sacred Buildings and Landscapes

Bardino Vecchio is best explored through its churches, memorial sites and paths. In Bardino Vecchio, the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista, the Monumento al Cristezzante and the Anello di Bardino Vecchio represent sacred history, local memory and the landscape.

Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista and Oratorio dei Disciplinati

The Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista has a Romanesque bell tower dating from the 13th century. Around 1550, the church became a parish church.

For your visit, access is important: it is via a gravel area in front of the building, and the entrance is not wheelchair accessible. The Oratorio dei Disciplinati is located close to the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista. The oratory dates from 1771 and replaced an older oratory from 1426. Those interested in regional architectural and ecclesiastical history can observe different historical periods in these two neighbouring sacred buildings.

Religious Art and Local Memory

The Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie contains a wooden altar group consisting of several statues from the school of Antonio Brilla. The group was installed in 1822 and is venerated by the faithful. The Monumento al Cristezzante commemorates the old tradition of bearers carrying wooden crucifixes in religious processions and is considered unique in the world. Both sites draw attention to forms of religious expression that extend beyond individual buildings and are connected with communal traditions.

Castello dei Folchi

Significant remains of Castello dei Folchi are still visible. The Castello is a Bastita, probably built during the War of Finale in the mid-15th century. Access is via a small forest path; Castello dei Folchi is not wheelchair accessible. For your planning, this means that you should take both the condition of the path and the limited accessibility into account for this destination.

Circular Trail, Olive Groves and Forests

The Anello di Bardino Vecchio circular trail is 3.7 km long, with 240 m of ascent and 240 m of descent. The estimated duration is 1 hour and 50 minutes. For planning your day, the circular trail in Bardino Vecchio should be treated as a separate time block; in addition to the trail length, both the ascent and descent and the estimated duration count. A path marked with the “Sentiero Liguria” trail sign leads through olive groves and forests back to the starting point.

Bardino Vecchio is therefore well suited to an itinerary in which culture and exercise follow closely one after the other: you can combine sacred buildings, religious art and the visible remains of Castello dei Folchi with a path through olive groves and forests. When choosing your activities, take into account the lack of wheelchair accessibility at the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista and Castello dei Folchi, as well as the length, elevation gain and duration of the circular trail.

Further Places to Explore

Tovo San Giacomo, Testico, Pietra Ligure, Villanova D'albenga, Cosseria, Spotorno, Borghi, Dego

To the higher-level travel overview: Savona.