Borgio's parish church grew on the ruins of a castle: in 1789 work began on what was left of the stronghold of Burgum Albinganeum, to a design by Giacomo Barella, and ended at some point between 1806 and 1808. A few years later, in 1814, Pope Pius VII called here on his way back from captivity in France.
What to see
The façade is neoclassical and restrained: the main door is flanked by four Corinthian columns that give the front its rhythm without weighing it down. Inside, the church has a single nave with six chapels opening along the sides; a canvas of Saint Peter is kept in the apse.
The parish title did not start here. It belonged to the church of Santo Stefano, originally dedicated to Saint Peter and now a sanctuary inside the cemetery: when the new building was ready the title changed hands, and the older church stayed on as a place of devotion. San Pietro belongs to the pastoral zone of Pietra Ligure, in the diocese of Albenga-Imperia, and the Latin name of the stronghold it stands on ties the village to Albenga.
Visiting
The church stands on piazza San Pietro, in the core of Borgio, the lower part of the municipality near the sea. It is the village parish and remains a working building: opening times follow the services, and they are best checked on the spot. Verezzi, the upper village, and the Valdemino caves are a few minutes away, so a stop here fits neatly into a round that takes in both.
Our editors' tip
Go and see Santo Stefano as well, inside the cemetery: it is the church the parish title came from, and set beside this one it explains the handover better than any plaque. And in the square, step back before going in: the four Corinthian columns only read properly from a distance, and up close they slip away.
