Altitude: 343 m a.s.l.

Area:  15 sq km

Distance from Imperia: 16 km

Inhabitants: in 1881: 889 - in 2017: 270

Patron Saint Day: August 15th - S. Maria Assunta

Information: Municipality phone 0182 77006

Moving south-west you’ll reach Martinetto, where the Pennavaire river, descending from 1,708 meters above sea level, flows into the Neva.

Pennavaire is a beautiful alpine valley, in whose woods the alders, oaks and chestnuts, as the altitude rises, give way to beeches and larches, while in the undergrowth thrive berries and mushrooms.

The calcareous and fossiliferous reliefs form an almost dolomitic landscape; as for the Dolomites, it was formed by the accumulation of sponges, corals and madrepores that lived in the tropical sea that covered this region 200 million years ago.

The lower Val Pennavaire is included in the scattered municipality of Castelbianco which has about 270 inhabitants spread over a dozen villages.

Visit of the town

Castelbianco is renowned for its cherries, which are excellent for jams and preserves.

The red fruits growers willingly sell them to tourists passing along the Provincial Road and by the hamlets.

The rocky ridges around the village are a delight for those who practice free climbing; Mount Alpe (1056 m) can also be reached by mountain bike starting from the village of Veravo.

Another itinerary from the hamlet of Vesallo goes back to Zuccarello, in Val Neva.