Liguria · Genova
Lavagna
The Tigullio town that gave its name to slate and to Pope Innocent IV, host each 14 August of the Torta dei Fieschi pageant.
43 km / 27 mi
Nearest hub (Genova)
12,296
Population
Apr–Oct
Best time to visit
Recognised as
Why come
Lavagna sits at sea level on the eastern Tigullio, thirty-five kilometers southeast of Genova. The town gives its name to the slate, lavagna, quarried from the San Giacomo mountains behind it; the stone roofed the Genovese palazzi and lined the schoolrooms of half of Italy, which is why the Italian word for chalkboard is also lavagna. Around the year 1000 the Counts of Lavagna held the territory; the Fieschi descended from them and produced two popes, Innocent IV and Adrian V. Innocent IV ordered the Basilica di San Salvatore dei Fieschi in 1244, white marble and slate in alternating bands, in the frazione of San Salvatore above the town. On 14 August Lavagna stages the Torta dei Fieschi: a reenactment of the 1230 wedding of Count Opizzo Fiesco and his Sienese bride, with a giant cake distributed in Piazza Marconi at the foot of the Basilica di Santo Stefano staircase. The beach holds Bandiera Blu.
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Gallery
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Known for
Basilica di Santo Stefano
Parish church rebuilt over a sixth-century foundation, crowning Piazza Marconi at the top of a wide staircase, the starting point of the Torta dei Fieschi.
Basilica di San Salvatore dei Fieschi
Thirteenth-century basilica in the frazione of San Salvatore, ordered by Pope Innocent IV in 1244, façade in alternating bands of white marble and local slate.
Spiaggia di Lavagna
Long Bandiera Blu beach on the Tigullio, with one of the largest tourist ports in northern Italy at the western end.
Piazza Marconi
Main square at the foot of the Basilica di Santo Stefano staircase, the stage for the 14 August Torta dei Fieschi each year.
Cave di Ardesia
Working slate quarries in the hills behind the town, the source of the dark stone that gave Lavagna its name and roofed the palaces of Genova.
When to visit
Best months · Apr–Oct
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
April through June and September into October are the dry months on the Tigullio. The beach water warms enough for swimming by late May. The 14 August Torta dei Fieschi is the central event of the summer: period costumes, procession from the Basilica di San Salvatore down to Piazza Marconi, and a giant cake distributed to anyone who matches a paired ticket. The reenactment has run continuously since 1949. July and August are full and warm; the seafront slows on Friday evenings. November through March is quiet. The slate quarries above town keep working through the winter.
How to get there
From Genova, Lavagna is roughly 43 km by road. Allow about 37–52 minutes depending on traffic and route choice (autostrada vs scenic).
Drive time to the nearest gateway airports
- Genoa54m
- Florence / Pisa1h 49m
- Turin2h 56m
Elevation 6 m
Reachable by train
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🟦 Bandiera Blu
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