Cervo is a seaside town situated picturesquely on the slope of a hill sloping towards the beach. Its historic buildings look as if they were made of stacked bricks. The baroque façade and the tower of one of the most beautiful churches of this period in Liguria rises above the houses.
The town has its roots in Roman times, when it was a trading settlement on the important Via Augusta. It developed in the Middle Ages, when it came under the influence of Genoa. At that time, it was known as a center for the fishing and trade of coral. This branch of economy led to the flourishing of the local community in the 16th and 17th centuries. It is from these times that most of the old buildings come from, although there are also older buildings here.
At the top of the hill there is the former church of St. Catherine, which in the 13th century the Marques of Clavesana adapted it to their castle. Rebuilt in the spirit of subsequent epochs, for centuries it served as the seat of the local noble family. Today it is the seat of the tourist information and the Ethnographic Museum.
Below the castle, a tangle of narrow cobbled streets leads towards the sea. You can get lost for a while in the alleys, enter small squares or look at the atmospheric courtyards. However, the roads always lead to the square in front of Cervo's most important attraction, the Church of St. John the Baptist. It is a beautiful baroque temple with a richly decorated facade and preserved interior design. From the square there is a great view of the sea. Nearby you can see the 13th-century oratory of St. Catherine with preserved medieval frescoes on the walls.
A gravel and rocky beach stretches below the town buildings. Part of it is payable, with the possibility of renting sunbeds, but on some parts you can relax on your own with your own equipment.
