What is Millesimo known for?

Black and white truffles from the Val Bormida hills, recognized by the Città del Tartufo network and celebrated at the September fair. Napoleon defeated the Austro-Sardinian army here on 13-14 April 1796, using the Del Carretto palazzo as headquarters. Twelfth-century fortified bridge over the Bormida, one of the few of its kind still standing in Italy.

When is the best time to visit Millesimo?

Apr–Oct. April through June and September through October are the dry months in the upper Val Bormida. The interior of Liguria runs cooler than the coast at this elevation, with mild days and chilly evenings; the rivers run higher in spring after the watershed melt. July and August warm up but Millesimo's 429 meters stay tolerable. The biggest event is the National Truffle Fair in September, when restaurants pivot to black and white tuber dishes and the centro storico fills with stalls. Winter is quiet and damp, with low cloud often filling the valley below the castle.

Millesimo is a comune in the province of Savona, Liguria region of Italy, about 83 kilometers from Genova.

How do I get to Millesimo?

From Genova, Millesimo is roughly 83 km by road.

Liguria · Savona

Millesimo

A fortified Del Carretto borgo in the upper Val Bormida, where Napoleon broke the Austro-Sardinian army in April 1796.

Known for

TRUFFLES
Black and white truffles from the Val Bormida hills, recognized by the Città del Tartufo network and celebrated at the September fair.
BATTLE OF 1796
Napoleon defeated the Austro-Sardinian army here on 13-14 April 1796, using the Del Carretto palazzo as headquarters.
PONTE DELLA GAIETTA
Twelfth-century fortified bridge over the Bormida, one of the few of its kind still standing in Italy.

When to visit

Best · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

The festa: Nostra Signora del Monte Carmelo, 16 July

Why come

Millesimo sits in the upper Val Bormida, sixty kilometers inland from Genoa over the Apennine watershed. Enrico II Del Carretto turned the village into a fortified borgo in 1206; the castle was raised later in the thirteenth century by his successors and the oldest fabric, the tower, keep and east wall, still dates from then. The signature monument is the Ponte della Gaietta, also called the Ponte Vecchio, one of the few fortified bridges in Italy, with its original twelfth-century body still spanning the Bormida.

Millesimo entered military history on 13-14 April 1796, when Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the combined Austro-Sardinian forces here at the cost of more than three thousand casualties on each side; the Del Carretto palazzo on the central piazza served as his army headquarters and now houses the comune. The commune carries the Città del Tartufo mark for both black and white truffles, celebrated at the September fair.

The Sunday letter

We haven’t written Millesimo’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.

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What to see

Ponte della Gaietta
Fortified medieval bridge over the Bormida, original body from the twelfth century, one of the few surviving examples in Italy.
Castello Del Carretto
Thirteenth-century stronghold of the marquis line, with the original tower, keep and east wall still standing above the village.
Palazzo Del Carretto
Family palazzo on the central piazza, used by Napoleon as headquarters for the Army of Italy in April 1796, now the town hall.
Centro storico
Triangular layout of stone houses around the central piazza, on the right bank of the Bormida below the castle.
Santuario di Nostra Signora del Deserto
Pilgrimage sanctuary on the outskirts, the religious focal point of the Val Bormida calendar.

The slow-trip planner

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Living here

Population 3,185
In-betweeni
Pharmacy in town
High school within a 30-minute drive
Nearest airport Genoa, 1 h 8 min drive
Regional capital Genova, 1 h 13 min drive

Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

Recognised as

The numbers

Elevation: 429 m
Population: 3,185
Surface area: 15.96 km²

On the map

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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.

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