Finalborgo historical timeline

Finalborgo was founded around 1188 by the Del Carretto marquises as the capital of their territory, replacing an older settlement. The walls and the grid inside them date from that foundation, which is why the plan is more regular than most medieval Ligurian towns.

The marquisate survived as an independent enclave for four hundred years, squeezed between Genoa and Savoy and outliving both threats by playing them against each other. In 1602 the last marquis sold it to Spain, which held it as a foothold on the Ligurian coast and a link to Milan.

Spain fortified it heavily and built the castle of San Giovanni above the town. In 1713 the territory passed to Genoa, and the Genoese demolished much of the Spanish work.

Afterwards Finalborgo became a quiet inland village while the coast below developed into a resort. That bypassing is why the walls, gates and street plan survive largely intact, and the town is now a member of the association of Italy’s most beautiful villages.