This holiday home is situated in an area convenient for drivers, below the old city of Diano Castello, an old Borgo which sits just above the coastal town of Diano Marina. The spacious apartment is surrounded by an olive garden - and everything is on a single level. In front of the main entrance is a small terrace which, in addition to the balcony, offers the you an opportunity to enjoy the fine outdoor views. Once inside the house, to the right of the hall, is a well stocked kitchen, and to the left, a bedroom. Continuing straight on, you enter the living room with its attractive rattan furniture from which the second bedroom, with its two single beds, can be accessed, as well as the bathroom. Your own parking space in front of the house enables fascinating trips into the hilly Ligurian countryside much easier. From Diano Castello there is a spectacular view of the sea, and Diano Marina, with its shops, entertainment areas and sandy beaches for relaxing, can be reached quickly and easily.

The village on a hill once known as "Castrum Diani" has a thousand-year history. Founded by the coastal inhabitants fleeing from Saracen invaders, Diano Castello became the heart of the feudal estate of the Clavesana family and also remained the most important centre in the territory under Genoese dominion. Matteo Vinzoni's eighteenth-century description illustrates a town surrounded by a wall with four gates, the remains of which can still be seen.

When you stand outside the parish church of San Nicolò di Bari you have a view over the surrounding hills and the sea. The church dates from the Baroque period and was built according to a plan by Giambattista Marvaldi in 1699: it has a tiled altar and preserves a crucifix by Maragliano and an eighteenth-century wooden choir.



The Romanesque church of San Giovanni Battista has a very unusual truss-beam covering with elegant decorations; nearby stands the late-mediaeval oratory of Santa Croce and San Bernardino, which was restored during the Baroque period. Other religious buildings well worth visiting are the Romanesque church of the Assunta with fifteenth-century fresco work and the austere Franciscan monastery (sixteenth century). At the foot of the hill, in the village of Varcavello (from the Celtic word "havelod", meaning "to consecrate") you can admire the fountain and the altar piece by Ramoino in the oratory of San Mauro.


Leisure time is spent between sport (elastic ball, bowling, go-karting) and festivals. The San Martino Fair, where you can find antiques and local products, is followed by a bonfire festival which celebrates the end of the cold days. During the festival of the local patron saint, San Nicolò, there are handicraft exhibitions and theatrical entertainments, while if you wish to taste the food and wine specialities of the Western Riviera there is a special annual gathering that awards a prize to the best Vermentino wine. Like Taggia olive oil, Vermentino wine is produced locally on the terracings that slope down towards the sea, where there is an abundance of centuries-old olive trees, vineyards and palm trees.