Moneglia

The village of Moneglia is located on the Riviera di Levante, east of Genoa. Belonging to the association of the most beautiful villages in Italy, Moneglia is located in a large bay bordered by two headlands, both rich in Mediterranean vegetation and pine forests: to the west lies the promontory of Punta Moneglia and to the east that of Rospo tip. While the first is entirely wild and reachable only by paths, the second has several residential areas that go up until the village of Lemeglio. The ancient placename of Moneglia (Ad Monilia) appears in the XI - XII century.

The village, already inhabited by the population of the Ligurian Lapicini, was a very important center in Roman times thanks to its strategic position on the ancient Via Aurelia. During the VII century the monks of Bobbio spread monasticism up to the area of Moneglia and in eastern Liguria descending from the possessions of val d'Aveto, Sturla and Fontanabuona. In the middle ages it suffered the invasions of Saracen pirates, who plundered the town; in particular, a widespread local legend tells that the town of Lemeglio was stormed by pirates in XI century with the killing of almost all the inhabitants and the kidnapping of over twenty girls and women.

The village of Moneglia is dominated by two fortresses. In the east side there is the Fortress of Villafranca, that was erected by the Republic of Genoa for the defense and the sighting of the coast around 1130. On the west side, it's the fortress of Monleone, erected in 1173. In June 2008 the Green Key was conferred to the town: the international environment label for eco-sustainable tourism. Moreover the village holds, together with the Friulian town of Grado, the Italian record of the award for gaining Blue Flags non-stop since 1990: 26 in 29 editions.

The main product of this strip of land is the Ligurian olive oil, that obtained the protected designation of origin (PDO) "Riviera Ligure di Levante" a few years ago. The oil of Moneglia goes well with fish dishes and the Mediterranean diet, of which the Ligurian cuisine is one of the highest expressions. The grapevine is also largely cultivated, in particular in the hills between San Saturnino and Lemeglio, from which comes from the wine "Bianco di Moneglia".