Bajardo
Welcome to Bajardo: a mountain village in Liguria
Hello everyone, today we'll talk about Bajardo, a village located in the province of Imperia, in Liguria. This mountain town is located about 10 km from Sanremo and 11 km from the town of Ospedaletti, positioned on one of the ridges of the mountains of the Maritime Alps in the hinterland at the top of the Nervia valley. Bajardo has 338 inhabitants and its territory ranges from 332 to 1,627 meters above sea level.
The physical geography of Bajardo
The territory of Bajardo is characterized by a variety of peaks, including Mount Ceppo, Mount Oliveto, Mount Gavanelle, Mount Bignone, Mount Alpicella, Mount Collettazzo, Punta Lodiro, Mount Garbinee, Mount Doa and Mount Campi. The total altitude difference of the territory is 1,295 meters. The main crops in Bajardo consist of high-quality mountain Taggiasca olives, abandoned arable land, vineyards, chestnuts, and mixed forest. In recent years, a part of the abandoned lands has been used for floriculture, while the cultivation of Lavandula is becoming increasingly common for subsequent distillation of the extract.
The architectural aspect of Bajardo
The village of Bajardo has a typically rural character, with a linear and annular structure. It is possible to notice many architectural aspects typical of Ligurian villages, such as the use of stone and narrow alleys with tall houses connected to each other by counter-push arches. One of the curious facts about Bajardo is that it is the municipality with the highest altitude in the province of Imperia, namely 910 meters above sea level.
The origins of the name Bajardo
The origins of the toponym Bajardo are still uncertain today due to the lack of certain documents and sources. However, there are numerous interpretations and derivations. The first attestation of the name dates back to the year one thousand and is found in the cartulary of Victor of Marseille.
The history of Bajardo
The territory of Bajardo has been inhabited since prehistoric times, particularly in the Mesolithic period, to which the Pian del Re tumulus burials date back. Bajardo was an important place of worship for the druids, the Celtic priests, and the Ligurians. Later on, the Romans arrived and met the various local populations in the 3rd century BC, transforming the original druidic shrine into a fortress, still partially visible today. With the fall of the Western Roman Empire, this area of western Liguria also saw the invasion of the barbarians and the domination of the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century. King Rotari of the Lombards in 643 occupied the territory and then Charlemagne, king of the Franks, in the second half of the 8th century. With the dissolution of the Carolingian Empire, all this area was included in the Marca of Turin, established by King Berengar II of Ivrea in 950, and under the jurisdiction of the County of Ventimiglia.
In summary, Bajardo is a mountain municipality with a strategic position in the province of Imperia. The territory is characterized by a series of peaks and typical Ligurian agricultural crops, such as vineyards, olives, and chestnuts. The village of Bajardo has a typically Ligurian architecture, with stone, narrow alleys, and counter-push arches. The origins of the toponym Bajardo are still uncertain, while the history of this territory dates back to prehistoric times, passing through the druidic era and Roman domination.
