Liguria · Imperia
Ceriana
A medieval village above the Valle Armea, inland from Sanremo, built on the Roman castrum that gave it its name.
Known for
OLIVE OIL
Taggiasca olives from the terraced slopes around the village, recognized by the Città dell'Olio network.
THREE CONFRATERNITIES
Rossi, Azzurri and Neri, each with its own oratory, still active in the religious calendar of the village.
CASTRUM COELIANAE
The Roman watchtower garrison that gave Ceriana its name and shaped its hilltop layout above the Armea river.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J11°
- F13°
- M14°
- A16°
- M20°
- J24°
- J27°
- A28°
- S24°
- O20°
- N15°
- D12°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Why come
Ceriana sits in the Valle Armea, twenty kilometers west of Imperia and a short climb inland from Sanremo. The Romans built a garrison here called Castrum Coelianae, a watchtower with permanent quarters for legionaries; the name shortened to Ceriana over the centuries. The town took its present shape in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, passing from the Counts of Ventimiglia to the Mari family in 1297 and to the Republic of Genoa in 1359.
The parish church of Santi Pietro e Paolo is reached by climbing the caruggi, narrow Ligurian alleys roofed in places by overpassing houses; inside, an anonymous wooden Virgin from the thirteenth century and a 1526 polyptych of San Pietro in cattedra. Three confraternities still keep their oratories in town: the Rossi at Santa Caterina, the Azzurri at the Visitazione, and the Neri at the Addolorata. Olive oil from the surrounding terraces carries the Città dell'Olio mark.
The Sunday letter
We haven’t written Ceriana’s letter yet.
One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.
How to get there
From Genoa (GOA), about 2 hours by car.
Turin (TRN) is about 3h 12m away.
By car from the centre of Milan 3h 19m.
What to see
Chiesa dei Santi Pietro e Paolo
Parish church at the top of the caruggi, with a thirteenth-century anonymous wooden Virgin and a 1526 polyptych of San Pietro in cattedra.
Oratorio di Santa Caterina
Seventeenth-century oratory of the Confraternita dei Rossi, built under the protection of the Senate of Genoa.
Oratorio della Visitazione
Seat of the Confraternita degli Azzurri, the second of three colour-coded brotherhoods that still organize the town's processions.
Oratorio dell'Addolorata
Home of the Confraternita dei Neri, the third confraternity, completing the red-blue-black trio of Ceriana's religious orders.
Centro storico
Eleventh- and twelfth-century stone town built on the Roman castrum, threaded with covered caruggi and stepped passages.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Ceriana fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
Living here
- Population 1,103
- Commuter belti
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Nearest airport Genoa, 1 h 56 min drive
- Regional capital Genova, 2 h 1 min drive
Common questions
- What is Ceriana known for?
- Ceriana is a medieval village at 369 meters above the Valle Armea, inland from Sanremo, built on the Roman castrum that gave it its name.
- Where is Ceriana?
- Ceriana is a comune in the province of Imperia, in Liguria.
- What is the nearest airport to Ceriana?
- Genoa (GOA), about 2 hours by car.
- How long is the drive from Milan to Ceriana?
- About 3h 19m by car.
- When is the best time to visit Ceriana?
- Best in Apr–Oct. August is the warmest month, averaging 28 degrees, and June the wettest, with about 14 rain days.
- Which other towns are like Ceriana?
- Pieve di Teco, Bassano in Teverina and Magliano di Tenna.
- How many people live in Ceriana?
- 1,103 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 369 m
- Population: 1,103
- Surface area: 31.79 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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