The village of witches
In the upper Valle Argentina, in the mountains behind Sanremo, at about 780 metres, Triora is a medieval stone village, one of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia", which in the Middle Ages was a powerful fortified stronghold of the Republic of Genoa, the "granary of the Republic", with five forts and walls. But Triora is known above all as the "village of witches": between 1587 and 1589, after a terrible famine, the inhabitants accused a group of women of having caused it with witchcraft, and the authorities started a witch trial, one of the most famous in Italy, in which about thirty women, and some men and children, were arrested, interrogated and tortured; some of them died in prison, and others were taken to Genoa to be judged.
Today the village remembers this dark story with the Museo Etnografico e della Stregoneria, the Ethnographic and Witchcraft Museum, which reconstructs the trial with documents, the rooms of the prisons and the instruments of torture, together with the traditional life of the valley. Walking through the dark lanes, the covered passages and the stone stairways, you discover the places of the legend, such as the Cabotina, the ruins of a house outside the walls where, it was said, the witches held their meetings. The village is full of shops selling herbs, potions and witch dolls, and in summer it hosts "Strigora", a festival dedicated to witches, with costumes, markets and shows. Triora is also known for its bread, a large round loaf of wheat and bran, and the surrounding mountains offer hikes in the woods and to the alpine pastures.
Tip: visit the Witchcraft Museum to understand the real story; taste the Triora bread and the local cheeses.
Where it is
More things to see in Liguria
Where to stay near Triora
Tours and activities nearby
Offers from GetYourGuide. Some links are affiliate links: if you book we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.