Camporosso

Liguria, Italy

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Camporosso is a charming seaside town in the Province of Imperia in Liguria, northwestern Italy, located about 160 kilometers southwest of Genoa and just 5 kilometers from the French border town of Ventimiglia.

The town, which has around 5,600 residents and covers 17.6 square kilometers, sits in the Nervia valley along the Riviera dei Fiori in the western Italian Riviera. Its name likely comes from the red soil ("campo rosso" means "red field" in Italian) that was highly valued since Roman times, and archaeological evidence suggests the Romans may have founded it.

Camporosso has a 300-meter beach that has earned the Blue Flag award for quality since 2001, making it one of Italy's shortest but well-maintained coastlines. The town's culinary specialty is "Barbagiuai," pumpkin-filled ravioli traditionally served with local Rossese red wine or Vermentino white wine. Historically, Camporosso belonged to Ventimiglia until gaining independence in 1686 under the Republic of Genoa, and its original core grew around the Romanesque Church of San Pietro, whose 15th-17th century bell tower and frescoed apse still remain.