Altitude: 197 m a.s.l.
Area: 10 sq km
Distance from Imperia: 26 km
Inhabitants: in 1881: 547 - in 2017: 286
Patron Saint Day: July 22nd - Santa Maria Maddalena
Information: Municipality phone 0183 31000
You are now heading towards the town of Vessalico. The most plausible hypothesis is that the toponym is an -ico derivative from a pre-Roman base.
Visit of the town
After passing the square plaque with a Trigram in a tondo affixed above the door at number 1, you’ll reach the square on which stands the parish church of Santa Maria Maddalena, originally from the 14th century but later rebuilt in Baroque style with a single nave and four side chapels. Inside there are only a few fragments of the original fifteenth-century frescoes.
Looking at the altar from the main entrance -with on the right the baptismal font in black carved stone mounted on a stone column-, there is immediately on the left a "San Sebastiano"; in the left arch towards the high altar have been preserved in the lower part a "Virgin and Child" and a "Saint Ezekiel" in the tondo next to it. A San Bernardo by Pietro Guidi da Ranzo is on the arch on the opposite side near the altar.
Leaving the church, continue to climb the road reaching Manfredi House at number 37, with deteriorated hanging arches and two mullioned windows with marble columns; on the architrave of 1526, Christianity and paganism once again merge, framing the central Trigram between two medallions with a guardian wizard crowned with laurel on the left and a bearded man on the right; better to make everyone happy because, as the underlying motto says, "Uno piccolo disdegno disconosca un gran volere tutto quello che voi fare pesa quello che ne puoi seguire" and then in small letters: "per non fallire".
Further on, immediately after the fountain with a stone mask, there is the window-door of an ancient shop that uses a carved recovery architrave as the right-hand door jamb; on top of it is a marble plaque of 1563 sculpted with a Madonna and Child, facing at number 44 the other beautiful plaque carved with the Virgin on the throne.
Continuing beyond the bridge you’ll find the Baroque oratory of the Visitation of the late eighteenth century.
Back to the car, continue and at the end of the town take the detour on the left to Lenzari.
After a kilometer and a half, marked by a sign on the left, branches off the short mule track that leads to the Romanesque church of Sant'Andrea, built around the the year 1100 and today completely abandoned in the middle of the countryside.
Consisting of a central nave and a left aisle divided by two arches, the first of which has been walled for stability reasons, the small building is preceded on the façade by a massive portico with seats on square pillars with low arches, which opens a window on the valley; the interior, completely bare, can be accessed through two round arched doors.
The roof of the left aisle, on whose outer wall there is a narrow slit-window, is trussed; the central nave, with two small single lancet windows in the tuff blocks apse, is covered with cross vaults.
Back towards Pieve di Teco, at the crossroads, turn left towards Rezzo.