Balestrino is a village in the hills surrounded by olive groves in the valley of the rio Ponte, it is made up of four different centres ,Borgo being the principle one dominated by Del Carretto castle.
At one time it belonged to the Benedictine Abbey of San Pietro dei Monti, in 1901 it was passed on to Bonifacio Del Vasto and then to Del Carretto ( XII century), who maintained the investiture until the XVIII century. A beautiful example of a medieval fortress is the marquis castle which overlooks the populated area; built on strong bastions, in 1795 it was partially destroyed by the French, restored during the last century it now looks like a fortified palace . The entancecs are still well-preserved together with the porter's lodge and a large watch tower and inside furnishings dating back to the 17th/18th centuries can be seen.the old village spreads out at the foot of the castle and was abandoned in the 50s following heavy landslides.
The parish church of Sant'Andrea , now closed off as it is unstable; however some of its important furnishings( two ancient polichrome ,marble altars and a splendid pulpit , adorned by the emblems of the Del Carretto of Balestrino) are preseved in the new church built in modern style in the highest hamlet. The characteristic little church of San Giorgio, medieval in structure ,holds frescos of 1400. Today the old part has kept intact its medieval appeal, which ,for now ,can be observed externally but there is a restoration project to bring it back as near as possible to its original state. A pilgrimage destination is the Shrine of Monte Croce in memory of the apparition of Our Lady, it is about 750mts high and offers a wonderful seaview.
Between Toirano and Balestrino there is a particularily pleasant stretch of the Sentiero(path) of the Terre Alte, which, in a 90 minute walk takes you to the abandoned village of Borgo.
Dolcedo,Imperia 29.6KM away
Country distant 7 km from the sea, 82 km from Nice and 34 km from Sanremo Activ....
Imperia,Imperia 30.0KM away
Welcome to Villa Marina: an ancient villa built in 1870, surrounded by a beautif....
Imperia,Imperia 30.0KM away
Our houses, each one different from the other for age, measure, style, bigness, ....
Imperia,Imperia 30.0KM away
Hotel Robinia is located in a central and quiet position with a magnificent view....
Imperia,Imperia 30.2KM away
The Hotel was built in 1964 by our family which still deals with the management.....
Alassio,Savona 30.3KM away
Hospitality, well-being, taste, and experience. These are the values that distin....
Finale Ligure,Savona 30.3KM away
albergo vista mare
Dolcedo Frazione Lecchiore,Imperia 30.6KM away
An old stone house finely renovated in typical Ligurian style, amidst olive grov....
Imperia,Imperia 30.7KM away
We are glad and proud to offer visitors a warm welcome to our historic farm, an ....
Imperia,Imperia 30.7KM away
CASA VACANZA IN ZONA RESIDENZIALE AD IMPERIA A 2 KM DALLE SPIAGGE Stupenda por....
Diano Arentino,Imperia 31.2KM away
Opespace a Diano Arentino
Sanremo,Imperia 34.0KM away
L’albergo è situato in zona San Martino, a : 100 mt dal mare, 500 mt dalla st....
Molini di Triora ,Imperia 35.4KM away
Since 1897, Santo Spirito has always been our family-business, it offers hospita....
Santo Stefano al Mare,Imperia 38.2KM away
“I see our hotel as a Mountain Hotel by the Sea”, says Gianfranco Roggeri ....
Celle Ligure,Savona 38.9KM away
Art Nouveau hotel located in Celle Ligure, a town on the Ligurian Riviera di Pon....
Arma di Taggia,Imperia 41.0KM away
The Hotel Europa is strategically situated rising in the town centre only 150mt....
Varazze,Savona 41.2KM away
Hotel in zona centrale
Varazze,Savona 41.9KM away
L’Hotel Ideale si trova a Varazze, una delle perle della Riviera Ligure, ed è....
Varazze,Savona 42.5KM away
hotel a 100 mt dal mare maderno ed accogliente
Sanremo,Imperia 45.2KM away
The hotel "Villa Sylva" is located in San Remo, “Via Privata Garbarino”, a f....
Sanremo,Imperia 45.9KM away
Situato nel centro della Città di Sanremo, il nostro albergo è stato recenteme....
Sanremo,Imperia 46.2KM away
The “Residence dei Due Porti” is an accommodation in San Remo, Italy, with h....
Sanremo,Imperia 46.6KM away
Just 101 m from the beach and few steps from Sanremo’s famous Casino, this hot....
Sanremo,Imperia 47.2KM away
Looking out to the sea, the Royal Hotel Sanremo is located a few metres from the....
Apricale,Imperia 48.8KM away
A leap into the past... into the appealing medieval hamlet of Apricale, a few m....
