Between collapsed houses, overgrown walls and the remains of a baroque church, one finds small studios, workshops and inhabited homes. Bussana Vecchia in Liguria is neither an ordinary village nor a classic ghost town. The place was abandoned after a catastrophe and brought back to life decades later by artists.
Roughly eight kilometres northeast of Sanremo, Bussana Vecchia sits on a hill approximately 200 metres above the Ligurian coast. The official Italian tourism portal Italia.it describes the place as an artists' village, which came into being among the ruins of an abandoned medieval settlement. Those who walk through its narrow alleyways today repeatedly encounter traces of its unusual history. Some buildings have been made habitable again, while others have remained ruins. Interspersed among them are artworks, small workshops and studios.
The earthquake of 23 February 1887
Until the end of the nineteenth century, Bussana was an inhabited Ligurian village. Its historic core had developed during the Middle Ages around a fortified complex and the church of Sant'Egidio. On 23 February 1887, a severe earthquake struck western Liguria and parts of the French Mediterranean coast. Particularly severe destruction occurred in, among other places, Bussana, Diano Marina, Diano Castello and Cervo. The historical earthquake catalogue of the Italian Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology assigns the quake a maximum intensity of ten on the Mercalli-Cancani-Sieberg scale. According to data from the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia approximately 640 people lost their lives across the affected area.
Church of Sant'Egidio severely damaged
Bussana, too, was badly hit. Numerous houses collapsed or became uninhabitable. Particularly severe damage was sustained by the church of Sant'Egidio at the centre of the village. Parts of its walls, façade and bell tower survived, but the roof and large sections of the interior were lost. Historical images of the destroyed site are today held in the Digital Library of the Ligurian Region.
Residents move to Bussana Nuova
After the earthquake, a decision was taken not to rebuild the old village in full. Below the destroyed settlement, closer to the coast, a new community grew up, known today as Bussana or Bussana Nuova. The relocation took place gradually. The old village was progressively abandoned and later came to be called Bussana Vecchia. Houses fell into disrepair, roofs caved in and plants reclaimed the alleyways. According to the official tourism portal of the Ligurian Region, the site remained largely deserted for around 70 years. Bussana Nuova lies approximately three kilometres below the old village. Both places can today be combined on a guided tour offered by the regional tourism portal .
An international artists' community takes shape
At the end of the 1950s, artists discovered the ruins of Bussana Vecchia. Among the key figures was the Turin-based ceramicist Mario Giani, who worked under the artist name Clizia. The history of Bussana Vecchia as documented by the artists' community describes how Clizia developed the idea of an international artists' colony . A dedicated charter was to govern communal life and the use of the abandoned houses.
From the 1960s onwards, Italian and foreign artists moved into the village. They made less severely damaged buildings habitable again, converting them into flats and studios. The community of that era initially lived without a regulated water or electricity supply and without the infrastructure of an ordinary village. The official Italian administrative courts also confirm, in their later account of the legal dispute, that the international artists' community occupied the abandoned site from the 1960s, rebuilt it and thereby laid the foundation for its subsequent cultural and touristic significance.
Between ruins, studios and inhabited houses
Bussana Vecchia still does not feel like a fully restored historic centre today. That is precisely what makes the village so distinctive. Some buildings are inhabited, while immediately alongside them, walls, arches and open spaces serve as reminders of the destruction of 1887. The alleyways are home to small artists' studios, workshops and places to eat and drink. Bussana Vecchia is not, however, a museum with set opening hours. Not all studios are open at all times, and part of the village is private living space.
The landmark of the village is the ruin of the church of Sant'Egidio. According to the official tourism portal of the Ligurian Region it can be viewed from the outside only. Parts of the original frescoes and stucco work are nonetheless still discernible. The Italian Ministry of Culture lists, for Sant'Egidio and the neighbouring Oratorio San Giovanni Battista, a measure for reducing structural vulnerability and for restoration. According to a recent report in the Secolo XIX the responsible heritage protection authority continued work in 2026 on the restoration of the old oratorio.
Those wishing to visit further unusual places in western Liguria will find, not far from Sanremo , the self-proclaimed Principality of Seborga.
Who owns Bussana Vecchia?
Behind the history of this artists' village lies a complicated property dispute. A large proportion of the buildings belong to the Italian state. Many residents, however, invested decades of work and money into properties without their rights of use or ownership ever being conclusively settled. In 2017, the Agenzia del Demanio, the city of Sanremo and the Italian Ministry of Culture at the time adopted a plan for the regeneration of Bussana Vecchia. This included structural consolidation works, new utility networks, the restoration of pathways and public spaces, as well as cultural and tourist uses.
The investment volume estimated at the time amounted to around 43 million euros. Part of the concept also included the planned transfer of state-owned property to the city of Sanremo. Implementation was, however, accompanied by ongoing conflicts with residents. Some residents received demands for payment relating to their use of state-owned properties. At the same time, they would only be permitted to participate in future award procedures if they had first paid the required compensation for use.
Ruling acknowledges the artists' contribution
In June 2024, the Italian Council of State ruled partly in favour of the residents. The court declared unlawful the condition under which participation in future procedures was made dependent on prior payment of compensation for use . The court explicitly established that the artists' community had saved the abandoned site and thereby created the conditions for its present-day regeneration. The official summary of the Council of State's decision refers to a private endeavour from which the public sector has benefited.
The fundamental question of ownership was not, however, conclusively resolved by the ruling. In August 2026, representatives of the Agenzia del Demanio visited Bussana Vecchia once again. According to the authority, the search continues for an approach that combines urban renewal with the enhancement of state-owned property. The current status was reported by the Ligurian daily newspaper Il Secolo XIX.
Getting to Bussana Vecchia
By car, the journey takes the A10, the Autostrada dei Fiori. The recommended exit is Arma di Taggia. From there, the route follows the SS1 towards Sanremo and continues via the signposted access road to Bussana Vecchia. The road ends at the edge of the village and is partially narrow. Sufficient space for turning must be kept clear at the end. The historic lanes themselves are explored on foot. Directions to the access road are also published on the artists' community website.
Getting there by bus and train
The nearest railway stations are in Sanremo and Taggia-Arma. Buses run from Sanremo towards Bussana. According to the current 2026 timetable, route 14/4 operated by Riviera Trasporti serves the Armea and Bussana area. Individual connections run towards Bussana Vecchia or as far as the junction. As the number of services is limited and seasonal timetables apply, it is advisable to check the specific connection immediately before travelling.
Alternatively, an old path of approximately 2.1 kilometres leads up from Bussana Nuova. The ascent is estimated to take around 35 minutes. Sturdy footwear is advisable, as Bussana Vecchia consists of uneven cobblestones, steps and steep lanes.
Combining Bussana Vecchia with a trip to Liguria
A visit combines well with Sanremo, Taggia and the Ligurian coast. Further to the east lie Portofino and the Cinque Terre, where increasingly strict restrictions for tour groups apply due to the high volume of visitors. Those travelling by car on the A10 should be aware of route-dependent motorway tolls . Guidance on payment is provided in our guide to tolls in Italy.
Not an ordinary ghost village
Bussana Vecchia tells not only of destruction and abandonment. The village demonstrates what can emerge when people reclaim a seemingly lost place and give it a new meaning .
The ruins were not transformed into a fully restored showpiece. Bussana Vecchia remained contradictory: inhabited yet full of ruins, a tourist destination and a private living space, a historic monument and an ownership question unresolved to this day. It is precisely this combination that sets Bussana Vecchia apart from many other places in Italy. Its past was not concealed behind freshly restored façades. It remains visible in the lanes and is continuously rewritten by the people who live and work there.
