The village
We access Finalborgo by Porta Testa (Head Gate), one of the main entrances leading to the heart of the inhabited nucleus, Piazza Garibaldi. The buildings have retained the original architecture of a medieval plant, with aristocratic palaces built from 1400, to be the witnesses of the importance acquired by the village through the centuries. In the inner streets you can walk around shops, taverns and bakeries, the fulcrum of everyday life and traditions that have been suspended over time.
One of the most charming and characteristic villages of Liguria guards its importance in the historical and natural aspect: between Caprazoppa and Capo Noli, it was a strategic point of settlements since the Paleolithic. Within its caves were, archaeological finds and fossils, among the oldest in Europe, have been discovered. Art, history, culture, but also sport, practicable in the open air within an unparalleled landscape setting, an ideal destination for outdoor enthusiasts who in every season of the year come here from all over Europe to enjoy the mild climate and a number of activities that the site proposes.
The history
The first archaeological finds found in the area date to the Paleolithic period, in particular caves, among which one of the most important is the Arene Candide (White Sands) one, where the "Young Prince's Burial" was found, considered one of the oldest tombs in Europe. In the same cave, a burial area with 15 graves was found. Findings dating to the upper and middle Palaeolithic were found in the Grotta delle Fate (Cave of the Fairies), a cavity located within the hamlet called Arma delle Manie. At present, these archaeological finds are visible inside the civic museum, at the convent of Santa Caterina (St Catherine) in Finalborgo. In addition, the territory of Finale has many pre-Romanesque, early Christian, Byzantine and Romanesque testimonies. During the Roman era, the territory of Finale Ligure was a natural border between the populations of Liguri Sabazi and Ligurian Ingauni, two of the oldest populations in Western Liguria in prehistoric times. The first written testimony of the existence of the territory of Finale dates back to 967, when Emperor Otto I, with a diploma, gave Castle of Orco, on the hills of the village, to Aleramo of Monferrato. Following this passage, Finale Ligure was inherited by the descendant of Aleramo, Henry del Vasto, invested with the ownership of the possession by Frederick Barbarossa in 1162. The ancient medieval old town of Finalborgo became a major place when it became the capital of the Marquisate of Finale, an ancient Italian state from 1162 to 1797. The Del Carretto family, descended from Henry, created the powerful Marquisate of Finale, annexing other minor feuds, but it collided, especially for commercial reasons, with the Republic of Genoa, which owned most of the ports in Liguria. Genoa imposed on the Del Carretto family commercial agreements and in 1385 the Republic gained the ownership of much of the feud but the Del Carretto rejected Genoa's rule after obtaining the protection of the Visconti before and of the Sforza then. Between 1447 and 1448 Genoa invaded the marquisate, destroying Finalborgo and Castel Govone, which a few years later returned in the hands of the Del Carretto family with the help of the French. In 1496, Alfonso I Del Carretto obtained from Maximilian I the title of marquisate, which later passed on to his son Giovanni II Del Carretto by Charles V in 1529. Between 1507 and 1514 the marquisate experienced one of the periods of maximum expansion. After the war against Genoa, it extended its domains up to Bormida Valley. The peace situation did not last for a long time: in 1558 Genoa invaded again the marquisate, followed by a period of political turmoil and subsequently Spain succeeded in acquiring the territory in 1602, which remained an imperial property. Spanish domination continued until 1707, the year in which Charles II of Spain died, with the succession of possession to the ever-growing Republic of Genoa, confirmed through the Treaty of Aachen. One of the last significant events took place in 1795, when it was invaded by Napoleon's army. Once the marquisate declined, the Republic of Genoa ceased to exist, and the Ligurian Republic was established, also Finale followed the successive historical events of the Ligurian territory, returning in 1797 to the Department of Maremola, in 1815 to the Kingdom of Sardinia, in 1861 to the Kingdom of Italy.
