Hiring a car is the ideal alternative to discovering Ligurian hinterland villages in a simple and relaxing way.
Stellanello is a small rural village constituting over 800 people. Its strategically located in the in the Upper Merula Valley just 141 metres above sea level in the province of Savona,The Merula Valley takes its name from the Merula stream that runs through it. The stream runs for almost 15 kilometres, rising on the slopes of Mount Aroso and flowing into the sea at Andora after Testico, Stellanello and Andora. Like many villages in the Ligurian hinterland, Stellanello is a group of settlements, all surrounded by olive trees.
A bit of history
Stellanello rises in the upper basin of the Merula river, nestled in a fan shape among extensive olive groves. It is a typical Ligurian settlement with scattered nuclei, green and quiet. Its origins are very ancient, like the other commiunes of the Merula valley. The earliest documents preserved in the archives present the village as a feud first of the Del Carretto marquises in the 12th century and, towards the middle of the following century, of the Dorias. From 1305, Stellanello had its own statutes and governed itself with a system of five Consuls, one for each parish elected by the people and endowed with broad powers. Precisely because of this ancient subdivision, today the village’s coat of arms features a five-pointed star. Included in the imperial fiefs, it was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1735 and later experienced the various provisional governments following the French Revolution and subsequent incorporation into the Napoleonic Empire.
Sights
Western Liguria has an extremely special hinterland, with most tourist destinations only accessible by own transport. This is why it is important to hire a vehicle, so that you can move autonompously around without any restrictions. Here you will find the parish church of San Vincenzo, which has Baroque-style architecture , it features polychrome marble altars of the same style. Also dating from the 15th century is the church of San Gregorio, whose interior contains a Baroque altar of great value. Not far away, near the small cemetery, you can admire the imposing walls of the ancient castle built by the Clavesana family (between the 12th and 13th centuries). Overlooked by Pizzo d’Evigno (989 m) and Mount Ceresa (913 m), the highest meadows blooming with broom in early summer, Stellanello is completely immersed in unspoilt nature.
