Liguria · Imperia
Cipressa
A ridgeline village above the Riviera dei Fiori, the climb that decides Milan-San Remo and a sixteenth-century Saracen-defence tower as its summit.
Known for
MILANO-SAN REMO
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.
TORRE GALLINARA
Sixteenth-century Saracen-defence watchtower on the ridge, signal point in the chain of coastal towers from Ventimiglia to Genova.
LINGUEGLIETTA
Frazione with an eleventh-century church-fortress on the hill west of the centro storico, also listed among the Borghi più belli d'Italia.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Why come
Cipressa sits on 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.
The Sunday letter
We haven’t written Cipressa’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.
By subscribing you agree to Substack’s Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy and our Information collection notice.
What to see
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.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Cipressa 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 1,201
- Commuter belti
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Nearest airport Genoa, 1 h 41 min drive
- Regional capital Genova, 1 h 46 min drive
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 232 m
- Population: 1,201
- Surface area: 9.39 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
Close by
More towns near Cipressa
Taggia
Province: Imperia
The Argentina valley's medieval seat above the Riviera dei Fiori, the town that gave its name to the Taggiasca olive grown across western Liguria.
Diano
Province: Imperia
A twin destination on the Riviera dei Fiori — the medieval hilltop borgo of Diano Castello above and the palm-fronted beach resort of Diano Marina below — sharing one Bay of Diano, one Taggiasca olive valley, and the longest Bandiera Blu beach in western Liguria.
Cervo
Province: Imperia
A hilltop village on the Riviera di Ponente built by coral fishermen, named for the Roman mansio on the Via Julia Augusta.
Badalucco
Province: Imperia
A medieval village wrapped in a bend of the Argentina torrent, with murals on its caruggi and a Slow Food bean on its terraces.
Ceriana
Province: Imperia
A medieval village at 369 meters above the Valle Armea, inland from Sanremo, built on the Roman castrum that gave it its name.
🎨 Borghi più belli d'Italia
More Borghi più belli d'Italia towns in Liguria
Ameglia
Province: La Spezia
A hilltop borgo at 89 meters above the mouth of the Magra, the Lunigiana edge of Liguria where the river meets the Gulf of Poets.
Apricale
Province: Imperia
A medieval hill village in the Nervia Valley, named for the Latin apricus, sunny, with a tenth-century castle shaped like a lizard on the rock.
Borgio Verezzi
Province: Savona
Two villages joined under one comune in 1933: Borgio on the Bandiera Blu beach and Verezzi at 200 meters on the pink-stone hill above.
Brugnato
Province: La Spezia
The medieval ecclesiastical capital of the Val di Vara, seat of a diocese from 1133 to 1820, with a co-cathedral built over a Columban monastery.
Campo Ligure
Province: Genova
A Spinola borgo at 342 meters in the Stura valley north of Genova, the last working centre for gold and silver filigree in Italy.