Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena | |
|---|---|
| Comune di Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena | |
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 Coat of arms | |
  Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena Location of Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena in Italy Show map of Italy Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena (Liguria) Show map of Liguria | |
| Coordinates:44°8′N8°7′E / 44.133°N 8.117°E /44.133; 8.117 | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Liguria |
| Province | Savona (SV) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Marino Milani |
| Area | |
• Total | 16.4 km2 (6.3 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 420 m (1,380 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 127 |
| • Density | 7.74/km2 (20.1/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Castelvecchiesi |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 17034 |
| Dialing code | 0182 |
| Website | Official website |
Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena (Ligurian:Castrevëgio) is acomune (municipality) in theProvince of Savona in theItalian regionLiguria, located about 70 kilometres (43 mi) southwest ofGenoa and about 35 kilometres (22 mi) southwest ofSavona. It is one ofI Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").[4]
Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena borders the following municipalities:Balestrino,Bardineto,Erli,Garessio,Toirano, andZuccarello. The village gets its name from a nearby mountain calledRocca Barbena.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, Castelvecchio was part of thefiefdom of the Marquis ofClavesana. Gradually it lost importance as the centre of local feudal power shifted to the nearby fief ofZuccarello. In 1623 Castelvecchio was acquired by theKingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia under theHouse of Savoy. After the castle was besieged in 1672, the Castelvecchio was ceded to theRepublic of Genoa. In 1746 , following theSpanish War of Succession a failed attempt was made by the Piedmontese army to take the village and the castle. In 1815 Castelvecchio once more became part of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia and followingItalian unification in 1861 it became part of theKingdom of Italy.[5][6]
The village is characterised by old stone houses clustered around an ancient castle.
The Castello dei Clavesana, which dates from around the 9th-10th centuries, towers over the village on a large rockypromontory. From the 11th century onwards, the castle was developed and village was constructed outside the castle walls.[7]
Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena has been named as one of the most beautiful villages of Italy by the association "I Borghi più belli d’Italia".[6]
The area around Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena is perfect for hiking and mountain biking with many access roads and dedicated mountain biking trails.
There is a sports association called the A.S.D Castelvecchio Rockriders who maintain and build new mountain bike paths. Working under the brandWild Rock MTB together withBardineto Outdoor they are bringing more mountain bikers to the area and in turn increasing the economy within the towns.
