Sometimes you come across something absolutely beautiful in an unexpected place. For years I have been visiting my family in Bardino Nuovo and always wanted to go inside the church but it was always locked when I tried. This trip I happened to be there right before a mid-week mass and the door was unlocked. Walking into this tiny church in a town with a population in the hundreds and seeing the beautiful paintings and architecture was amazing.
I don't think I've given a history lesson on Bardino so here you go. The village was founded in the Middle Ages and was owned by the bishops of Albenga. Later the village was given as a fief to Bonifacio del Vasto. In the 12th century Bardino Nuovo was the land of the Del Carretto family, the Lords of Savona.
Since 1713 Bardino Nuovo was part of the Republic of Genoa. 1797 the village was incorporated into the First French Empire. That is why some of my relatives talked of themselves as French-Italian. In 1815 the village was part of the Kingdom of Sardinia until it was incorporated in the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. In 1928 the two communities of Bardino Vecchio and Bardino Nuovo were united as one land.
The parish church of St. Sebastian was built up during 1681-1708 and has the Baroque style.From the church square you have a wonderful view over the entire valley and Mediterranean Sea.
The famous bell tower clock museum by Giovanni Batista Bergallo is also worth visiting. It was opened in 1997 in the former town hall.
The bell tower is still in use and is very accurate as I can attest. Some nights I woke up every hour and counted the chimes. I guess it takes time to get used to the bells going off.
How to get there. Bardino Nuovo is roughly located between Genoa and Monaco on E80 in the Liguria Region. Take the Finale Ligure exit off of E80 and drive up the hill on SS490 until you get to Via Costino. Turning left you will drive through smaller towns including Bardino Vecchio on to Bardino Nuovo.
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