Altitude: 420 m a.s.l.
Area: 26 sq km
Distance from Imperia: 66 km
Inhabitants: in 1881: 1627 - in 2017: 292
Patron Saint Day: December 26th - Santo Stefano
Information: Municipality phone 0184 241048
Originally known as Castel Dho, the village, located in a very favorable strategic position, was a domain of the Counts of Ventimiglia until 1260, when Count Bonifacio sold it to the Republic of Genoa, by which it was renamed with the name of Castelfranco to then assume (1862), upon passing under the Piedmontese, the name Castelvittorio in honor of Vittorio Emanuele II.
The history of the town, domain of Genoa, is characterized by the age-old enmity with the nearby Pigna, bastion of Savoy penetration.
Visit of the town
Entering by car into the town, at the height of the school building (on the right) look to the left, above the ramp that goes up to the village, at the defense tower against Barbary-Turkish incursions, now disfigured by a terrace, which controlled the valley.
After parking at the widening, go up the ramp entering the village through Via Umberto I, which leads you to the central Piazza XX Novembre, surrounded by stone loggias with seats; the first one on the right houses a splendid fountain with a black stone basin and another well-worn “colombina” stone basin, and a drinking trough, with the well and the mechanical pump on the right; the channels are in terracotta.
In the next loggia the seats are five massive capitals placed side by side; also in the opposite loggia three seats are capitals in carved stone, rich leftovers of the reconstruction of the parish church above.
In the square there are several beautiful portals: the one on the left at number 4 has the architrave of 1551 carved with three rosettes and a small guardian-wizard; on the right, at number 11, 12 and 13, there are other portals in black stone, of which the central one has the lintel carved in a Trigram.
Climb the ramp in front of you, passing under the gap with a carved cross shield, emblem of Genoa, in the center, and after passing a series of vaults, arrive to the small churchyard of Santo Stefano, completely rebuilt in Baroque style in 1771, which reserves you a big surprise: in the small chapel on the right is in fact preserved a painting depicting the crucifixion with a Madonna and Saint John which is to be attributed to the school of Michelangelo.
Next to it is the rustic wooden sculpture "La Pietà", more suggestive to us than the formal Crucifix attributed to Maragliano.
The church is faced by a medieval tower with loopholes later adapted to a bell tower with a polychrome slivers roof, set against an abandoned archaic house, perhaps the original guardhouse of the fortification.
Take the Santo Stefano alley to the left of the fountain at the base of the bell tower; after the marble portal decorated with rosettes at number 3, at number 13 there is a fine archaic bas-relief in black stone, partly washed out, carved with a central Trigram contended by two chimeras.
Continue going down to the left under the vault of Via Canto and then to the right, passing under the oldest gate of the village, from which go down the whole stairway; at the bottom, go under the vault on the left and from there after a few steps take the right continuing to go down.
After passing the smooth stone portal at the corner with Via Garibaldi at number 57, go down again beyond the stone portal with an ogival arch on the right and, at the intersection, go back up to the right on Via Vittorio Emanuele.
On the left is the facade of the oratory of Santa Caterina, of which you will see a little further on, at number 66, the door protected by a canopy on stone shelves; the interior is in complete desolation, as you can see through the door slits.
Going up the street, pass under the stone arch of the southern access gate to the village, defended by the loophole in the wall to the right; further on there is, at number 62, a portal with an architrave carved with a very elaborate Trigram in a colored tondo, with the rest of the monolith whitewashed with lime.
Upon arriving to the widening you can go and see, on the ramp that rises on the right, the second gate defended by loopholes, from which you’ll return to Via Emanuele that you’ll walk up to the square.
From there climb to the side of the fountain and turn left on Via Roma, which has several not very interesting smooth stone portals; at number 1 on a carved door, then at number 7, at number 13 with an aedicule, at number 12 two archaic ones flanked by a walled one, at number 29, at number 35 with a canopy, and finally at number 51 hidden by a lime covering.
Back to the square take the car back to the Provincial Road.
Going up the valley, reach the crossroads that on the right leads to the refuge of Monte Gray, at almost two thousand meters of altitude, to Rifugio Allavena and to Molini di Triora; upstream of the intersection there is an oil mill of which you can see the large external iron wheel.
Take on the left the road that climbs through the woods following the valley that continues to shrink and after three kilometers, having reached the very top of the valley, you’ll find the town of BUGGIO, of which, keeping the left, you can reach the parking lot.
From there go down passing the houses resting on high rocks on the right and when you reach the aedicule go right and then right again, ending up into the tiny square with lots of greenery and an aedicule with an angel.
Returning back, upon arriving to the other aedicule, take a left to reach the little church square.
There at number 1 there is a beautiful black stone portal of 1736 with rosette-carved jambs and geometric patterns, and a lintel carved with a Trigram and floral motifs, with the inscription: "SI DEUS AEDIFICET STABILIS NON CORRUET AEDES - DEFICIENTE DEO MOENIA FIRMA RUENT" (If God built it, the house would not get ruined; lacking God, even solid walls will collapse).
The vault on the left under the small square houses a beautiful fountain with a stone gutter; in front there is the stone bridge that leads to the churchyard.
There stands the small Baroque church of San Giovanni Battista, which preserves inside a small baptismal font in black stone; next to it is the modest oratory of Sant'Andrea.
Taking the small road to the right of the church, past a monolithic portal and then at number 14 another one with a canopy, go back to the bridge from which you can go along Via IV Novembre, cross the widening with an aedicule on the right and reach the car.
Going back, if you turn left at the first junction you can still drive a few hundred meters by car and then reach on foot the small Alpine Church in the greenery; if instead you take the road on the right, you’ll go back, passing -high on the right side of the road- the small church of Madonna della Visitazione, with a simple black stone portal decorated with floral motifs.
Upstream of the town, which can be reached with great difficulty, lies Tana del Ruglio, a cave where the source of the Nervia stream flows from the bare rock.
From Buggio go back by car to the Provincial Road; after three kilometers, at the crossroads, instead of going back to the right along the route travelled on the ascent, it is possible to take a beautiful mountain excursion by going left and continuing north to Carmo Langan (just before Carmo, branches off to the left the detour leading to Lake of Tenarda and Colle Melosa); from there you can head to Triora and then go back down to the sea on the Provincial Road that follows the Argentina stream, with a visit to the already described Montalto, Badalucco and Taggia.