Camporosso, Italy: travel guide to the Riviera dei Fiori town in the Nervia valley

Camporosso is a town in the province of Imperia, in Liguria, set on the Riviera dei Fiori in the far west of the Italian Riviera, close to the French border. With around 5,600 inhabitants, it stretches from a short stretch of coast up into the green Nervia valley, between the sea and the medieval hill villages inland.

For travellers searching for Camporosso Liguria, the Riviera dei Fiori, the Nervia valley or towns near Ventimiglia, it offers a relaxed Riviera base close to some of the region's most charming spots.

History

One of the oldest villages of the Nervia valley, with documents going back to 1256, Camporosso was long dependent on neighbouring Ventimiglia, breaking away only in 1686 to join a small federation of local communities. Suppressed and merged with Ventimiglia in 1923, it was re-established as an independent municipality two years later. The town is proud to be the birthplace of Saint Francesco Maria da Camporosso, a Capuchin friar known as the "Padre Santo," who died in Genoa in 1866 and was canonised in 1962.

Town and surroundings

The main village sits a little inland in the Nervia valley, while Camporosso Mare offers a sandy beach along its short coastal frontage, one of the smallest stretches of coast of any Italian town. The surrounding country is classic Riviera dei Fiori, famed for flowers, olives and vines, and the town lies close to the picturesque medieval bridge village of Dolceacqua, painted by Monet, and its Rossese wine.

Practical information

Camporosso lies immediately next to Ventimiglia, forming part of its coastal conurbation with Bordighera and Vallecrosia, about 45 kilometres west of Imperia and some 160 kilometres south-west of Genoa, very close to the French border and the resorts of the Côte d'Azur such as Menton.