Liguria · Imperia
Triora
The witches' village at 776 meters in the upper Valle Argentina, where the Inquisition put around 200 women on trial between 1587 and 1589.
- Best time
- May–Oct
- By car
- 2 h 28 min from Genoa
- Population
- 373
Known for
PROCESSO ALLE STREGHE
Between 1587 and 1589 around 200 women were tried by the Inquisition here, one of the largest witch hunts in Italy.
PANE DI TRIORA
Slow-rising rustic loaf baked in wood-fired ovens, with a thick crust that keeps the bread good for two weeks.
ALPI LIGURI
Wolves, chamois, and golden eagles range the ridges above Triora, the upper Argentina valley reaching Monte Saccarello at 2,200 meters.
When to visit
Best · May–Oct
- J8°
- F11°
- M12°
- A14°
- M18°
- J22°
- J25°
- A26°
- S21°
- O17°
- N12°
- D9°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Why come
Triora sits at 776 meters in the upper Valle Argentina, the last comune before the Alpi Liguri turn into French territory. The site was a Genovese stronghold from the thirteenth century, fortified with five castles, three of which still leave traces. Between 1587 and 1589, after two years of failed harvests and famine, the council of elders blamed a group of women living in seclusion in La Cabotina, the poorest quarter, and called in the Inquisition.
Around 200 women were accused, many tortured, some died in custody. Genova intervened to slow the trials; the survivors were eventually freed. The Museo Etnografico e della Stregoneria, in the former prison, holds the documents and reconstructs the herbalism, the famine, and the trial process.
The Pane di Triora is a slow-rising rustic bread baked in wood ovens that keeps for two weeks. Wolves and chamois return to the surrounding ridges.
The Sunday letter
Triora is on our list. Its letter is still to come.
We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Triora comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.
Read on
Triora in our articles
The prettiest villages inside a nature park in Liguria6 towns, Triora among them.
The prettiest small villages in the province of Imperia9 towns, Triora among them.
10 Bandiera Arancione towns nobody has heard of10 towns, Triora among them.
10 towns at their best exactly when Venice is at its worst10 towns, Triora among them.
How to get there
From Genoa (GOA), about 2h 23m by car.
Turin (TRN) is about 3h 20m away.
By car from the centre of Milan 3h 46m.
What to see
Museo Etnografico e della Stregoneria
Witchcraft and ethnography museum in the former village prison, with trial documents, herbal knowledge, and a reconstruction of La Cabotina.
La Cabotina
The poorest quarter at the edge of the village, where the women accused of witchcraft in 1587-1589 lived, now a marked walking circuit.
Collegiata di Nostra Signora Assunta
Parish church with a fourteenth-century Baptism of Christ by Taddeo di Bartolo, the oldest dated work in Liguria.
Ruderi del Castello
Surviving fragments of the medieval Genovese castle on the high point of the village, with views into the upper Argentina valley.
Monte Saccarello
At 2,200 meters, the highest peak of Liguria, on the ridge above Triora that marks the French border.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Triora 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.
Signature dish
Pane di TrioraBread
A dark, long-keeping sourdough of bran and wheat, baked in the mountain village once tried for witchcraft.
See every town in our catalogue with a dish of its own.
Through the year
What happens here
Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.
Processione Del Montepatron saint's feast
usually held in April. Eventi Autentici Liguri (UNPLI Liguria calendar)
Venerdi Santopatron saint's feast
usually held in April. Eventi Autentici Liguri (UNPLI Liguria calendar)
Festa Di San Zanepatron saint's feast
usually held in June. Eventi Autentici Liguri (UNPLI Liguria calendar)
Strigora, Un Giorno Con Le Streghe Di Triorahistorical re-enactment
usually held in August. Eventi Autentici Liguri (UNPLI Liguria calendar)
Living here
- Population 373
- Remotei
- Pharmacy: none mapped
- Nearest high school over ~30 minutes away
- Nearest airport Genoa, 2 h 23 min drive
- Regional capital Genova, 2 h 28 min drive
Common questions
- What is Triora known for?
- Triora is the witches' village at 776 meters in the upper Valle Argentina, where the Inquisition put around 200 women on trial between 1587 and 1589.
- Where is Triora?
- Triora is a comune in the province of Imperia, in Liguria.
- What is the nearest airport to Triora?
- Genoa (GOA), about 2h 23m by car.
- How long is the drive from Milan to Triora?
- About 3h 46m by car.
- When is the best time to visit Triora?
- Best in May–Oct. August is the warmest month, averaging 26 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 17 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Triora?
- Yes. Processione Del Monte, Venerdi Santo and Festa Di San Zane, and 1 more we hold a source for. April is when the first of them falls.
- Which other towns are like Triora?
- Castel San Vincenzo, Orvinio and Pizzone.
- How many people live in Triora?
- 373 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
The numbers
- Elevation: 776 m
- Population: 373
- Surface area: 67.61 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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