What is Cipressa known for?

The Cipressa climb has decided the final selection of Milano-San Remo since it was added to the route in 1982, 5.6 km at four percent. Sixteenth-century Saracen-defence watchtower on the ridge, signal point in the chain of coastal towers from Ventimiglia to Genova. Frazione with an eleventh-century church-fortress on the hill west of the centro storico, also listed among the Borghi più belli d'Italia.

Cipressa is a comune in the province of Imperia, Liguria region of Italy, about 130 kilometers from Genova.

Liguria · Imperia

Cipressa

A ridgeline villageabove the Riviera dei Fiori, the climb that decides Milan-San Remo and a sixteenth-century Saracen-defence tower as its summit.

130 km / 81 mi

Nearest hub (Genova)

1,201

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Borghi più belli d'Italia

Why come

Cipressa sitson a ridge above the Ligurian Sea, ten kilometers west of Imperia. The village is the upper terminus of the climb that bears its name in the Milano-San Remo cycling race, added to the route in 1982 to harden the final third: 5.6 kilometers from sea level at San Lorenzo al Mare to the bell tower of the parish church, 231 meters gained at an average four percent. Above the village the Torre Gallinara, sixteenth-century, served as a watchtower against the Saracen raids that defined the Ligurian coast through the late Middle Ages. The frazione of Lingueglietta, on the hill west of the centro storico, holds the Chiesa Fortezza di San Pietro, an eleventh-century church converted into a fortified shelter when pirate raids intensified, with merlons added to the roofline. The valley is olive country: Taggiasca terraces drop from the ridge to the coast road below.

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Gallery

5 photos · scroll →

Known for

Torre Gallinara
Sixteenth-century cylindrical watchtower on the ridge above the village, built against Saracen raids, viewpoint across the Riviera dei Fiori.
Chiesa Fortezza di San Pietro
Eleventh-century proto-Romanesque church in Lingueglietta, fortified with merlons on the roofline when pirate raids intensified.
Lingueglietta
Frazione on the western ridge, intact medieval streets, listed alongside Cipressa among the Borghi più belli d'Italia.
Chiesa di San Lorenzo
Cipressa parish church at the top of the climb, the bell tower marking the finish point of the Milano-San Remo Cipressa climb.
Salita della Cipressa
5.6 km cycling climb from San Lorenzo al Mare to the village, 231 meters gained, used in Milano-San Remo since 1982.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June and September to October are the windows for walking the ridge and cycling the climb itself: olive groves green, the coast clear from the Torre Gallinara, evenings under 25 degrees. Milano-San Remo runs in mid to late March, when the climb is at its hardest because winter rains have left the road surface uneven. July and August are hot on the coast below; the 232-metre elevation keeps the village cooler but cycling is best at dawn. November through March is quiet. The new oil arrives in November and December. The road up from the Aurelia stays open year-round and rarely sees more than a passing winter rain.