The coat of arms of Ponte Nizza is a description of the place piece by piece: three peaks for the three original nuclei, Trebbiano Nizza, San Ponzo Semola and Pizzocorno; a bridge, which puns on the name; the river for the Nizza stream and for a spring credited with healing properties, with fish to say that the water is good; in the chief the stylised bell tower of the hermitage of Sant'Alberto di Butrio; and a dry thorn branch, the badge of the Malaspina, marquises of these valleys since the imperial diploma of 1164. The comune itself is recent: it was created in 1928 by joining those villages and Cecima, which took its autonomy back in 1956.
Through here ran the Lombard salt road, travelled by trains of mules that went down the valley floor and reached Genoa over the Giovà pass and Monte Antola. The village belongs to the Quattro Province, the cultural region shared between Alessandria, Genoa, Pavia and Piacenza, where the dances are led by the Apennine piffero, accompanied by the accordion and once by the müsa, the bagpipe of these mountains. At Rossago, in 2002, Cascina Rossago was founded, the first Italian farm community for adults with autism.
Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
Near Ponte Nizza
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
Places to see within 25 km
Outside Ponte Nizza, but an easy day trip away.