On the quiet outskirts of the small ligurian town of Roncagli, above the coastal town Diano Marina, lies the house La Baita. In Roncagli, one can pamper oneself with regional specialities in the restaurant “Gli Amici del Conte”. In the surrounding towns one can find other restaurants and shops. The tastefully furnished house is entered via the terrace with its outdoor furniture, upon which one can enjoy the panoramic view of the San Pietro valley and the foothills of the Alps. In the house itself, there are at your disposal, spread out over 3 stories, two bedrooms, a large kitchen with dining area and a bathroom. The terrace can also be accessed from the bedroom on the lower level. In just 15 minutes, one can reach the lively town of Diano Marina with its many beaches and year-round festivals and events. La Baita is also an ideal starting point for tours of the diverse backcountry, be it either by foot, bike or car. The street ends in Roncagli.

This municipality is formed of two towns on the sunny slopes of the San Pietro Valley. Dominating the lower town is the parish church, one of the most important in the area (the christening font dates from the eleventh century). All that is left of the original late mediaeval building is the bell tower. It is dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul and was reconstructed in Baroque style in the second half of the eighteenth century. The parvis is paved with pebbles and it was surrounded by a wall in 1564 as a defence against Saracen invasions. The interior preserves a painting of the martyrdom of San Giovanni Battista attributed to Giovanni Battista Paggi and a fine seventeenth-century marble pulpit.
Along the road to Diano San Pietro there are two buildings that were once used for control and defence of the valley: the square "Camandone" barracks building and the "Molino Arduino", a fortified mill.







Just outside the town, when you have crossed the bridge over the Rio San Pietro, you will come to the district of Colla, where you can admire the recently-restored sanctuary of the Madonna della Neve. In the church of the Natività di Maria in Borganzo, you can see a fine poliptych by Antonio Brea: the Madonna della Consolazione (1518). There is a very old humpback bridge over the San Pietro at Roncagli. At one time, the valley was full of mills producing Taggia olive oil. Besides olive-oil production, the local economy is based on the cultivation of vegetables, fruit and basil, which is the main ingredient of the typical local liqueur. Among the many local summer festivals, the most famous is the one dedicated to a pasta dish called "trenette al pesto", which is accompanied by a classic Ligurian wine called Pigato.

Diano Roncagli, 200 meters above sea level, is a small medieval mountain town, surrounded by olive groves and is 7 km from the beaches of the coastal town Diano Marina. In the town center there is a local restaurant with indigenous culinary specialities, which are served outside in the garden in Summer. Time appears to have stood still in the town of Diano Roncagli.



Life is simple, quiet and far from the hectic hustle and bustle of our times. Diano Marina is about 10 minutes away by car or public bus, which is in service daily.