On 4 September 1581 the people of Onzo bought their own freedom: 5,000 gold scudi to the Republic of Genoa, a statute in four books and a village that governed itself for two centuries. They still call it the Time of the Republic of Onzo.
The comune's 234 residents are scattered across Capitolo, Menezzo and the other hamlets, at 410 metres below Monte Castell'Ermo. Two lopped-off towers remain of the Clavesana castle, one round and one octagonal; the parish church of San Martino holds two statues attributed to Maragliano.
The patron is Saint Martin and the feast falls on 11 November. The parish church that carries his name stands in the settlement of Capitolo, which is also where the town hall is: Onzo is a scattered municipality, and there is no single centre.
A village of a few hundred people also has an open-air museum. The Parco di Onzo gathers works of tribal and contemporary art, among them a monumental piece by Filippo Biagioli, who worked in the Savona area for several years. A little higher up, at Menezzo, a reservoir at around 600 metres irrigates the vegetable plots and orchards on the valley floor.
ruderi del castello dei Clavesana
Pesto alla Genovese
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Next up: Saint Martin, patron of a town whose legend tells of a fief-holder's flight, Wednesday 11 November
Nearest airport: Genova, 73 km away
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📅 Every year, on 11 November
Onzo celebrates Saint Martin on 11 November, in the Baroque church in the locality of Capitolo; a legend tells that the inhabitants, exasperated by the demands of the fief-holder Scipione Del Carretto, stormed the castle and forced him to flee.
Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
Outside Onzo, but an easy day trip away.
