The village
It burrows its historical roots about twelve thousand years ago, with numerous recesses excavated in the rock probably inhabited by primitive populations of Liguria, from the last glaciation on. Toirano caves are among the most important in the country and were used as homes by primitive men and animals. Today they can be visited through a tour of more than one kilometre and a half. Beautiful landscapes, but also historical beauties, visible walking through the medieval village centre, one of Italian oldest inhabited centres, which still has many visible testimonies in the stratification of its buildings.
The history
The discovery of a necropolis dating to the 2nd century confirms the presence of settlements dating back to Roman times. The toponym of Toirano, tower foot, finds its origins in an ancient fortification located in the valley, a defensive building that probably divides two distinct territories, one of Byzantine domination and a Longobard. During the medieval period it became the property of Albenga, disputed between the Marquisate of Finale and the Republic of Genoa that obtained it thanks to the assignment of Pope Urban VI. With the subsequent French domination the village became part of the Ligurian Republic, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Kingdom of Italy since 1861.
