Cabella Ligure

Access

Cabella Ligure can be reached from Alessandria (about 56 km) by taking the SP140 road up the Borbera valley to Vignole Borbera, and from there continuing for about 22 km. The nearest motorway exit is Vignole on the Milan-Genoa motorway. The reference airport is Genoa Cristoforo Colombo, less than two hours away. The municipality is part of the Terre Alte Mountain Union and is an important hub for sustainable tourism and the enhancement of the Apennine valleys.

Introduction

Cabella Ligure is a small mountain municipality located in the highest part of the Val Borbera, in the province of Alessandria, in the Piedmont region. The municipal territory, covering an area of over 46 km², lies along the confluence of the Liassa stream with the Borbera river and is surrounded by the wooded slopes of the Ligurian-Piedmontese Apennines, in a naturalistic environment of considerable value that marks the border between Piedmont, Liguria and Emilia-Romagna. The main village, at an altitude of 510 metres, retains the cosy appearance typical of valley villages and is home to around 450 inhabitants, known as Cabellesi.

Description

The territory of Cabella Ligure comprises twenty hamlets, including Capanne di Cosola, Cosola, Piuzzo, Rosano, Centrassi and Teo, scattered over hills and valleys that maintain a strong link with the traditional agricultural and pastoral landscape. The origins of the town date back to medieval times: it belonged to the Malaspina marquises before passing under the rule of the Republic of Genoa. Architectural traces remain from that period in the oldest nuclei and in the system of parish churches and oratories dotting the valley. The village was once an important junction along the Apennine routes that connected the Po Valley with the sea. Today, Cabella Ligure is distinguished by its tranquillity and the presence of small agricultural producers, particularly of cheese and baked goods, some of which are recognised with the De.Co. mark.
The most heartfelt events include the patron saint's festival of San Lorenzo, celebrated on 10 August with a solemn mass and procession through the village streets accompanied by the band from Borghetto Borbera. The link with rural culture also emerges in the 'Laboratori delle Radici' (Roots Workshops), days dedicated to traditional bread and cheese making, initiatives created to preserve local knowledge and reconnect the community with its origins. The village is also home to the Nirmala Devi Sanctuary, linked to the Sahaja Yoga movement, which has established one of its international spiritual communities here, contributing to the village's notoriety abroad.
Whoever comes to Cabella Ligure can enjoy hiking along the numerous paths of the Alta Val Borbera, which cross pastures, woods and ancient mills, sometimes reaching altitudes of over 1,500 metres in the vicinity of Monte Carmo. Along these routes you will find extensive viewpoints over the Ligurian and Emilian mountains, offering scenery of great natural and scenic interest.

Information

Area: 46.78 km²
Altitude: 510 m above sea level
Maximum elevation: approx. 1.700 m - Monte Carmo
Inhabitants: 478 (2022)
Name in dialect: Cabela
Inhabitants' name: Cabellesi
Patron Saint: San Lorenzo (10 August)
Neighbouring municipalities: Albera Ligure, Carrega Ligure, Fabbrica Curone, Mongiardino Ligure, Ottone, Rocchetta Ligure and Zerba
Official site: www.comune.cabellaligure.al.it

.