Bardineto is a small peculiar village of the Ligurian inland, situated in a marvellous natural location and it is spreading on a enchanting plateau whose extension is 2960 hectares at 711 meters above sea level and, it is surrounded by a splendid frame of hills and high mountains.

TO LIVE IN A MUSHROOM
Surrounded by a forest of nut-chest, there is a curious village whose houses have the shape of a mushroom. Seven are the mushrooms which compose the hamlet: the greater ones shelter the flat itself while in the smaller ones there are the oven, the store-room and the well.

A DIVE IN THE GREEN
The botanical environment of Bardineto's territory represents a natural patrimony of priceless value. The higher and more known mountain peak is Monte Carmo which altitude is 1389 meters . The hill area allows to enjoy a luxuriant vegetation and an optimum air, that even in the summer months remains cool and healthy. The woods present an enchanting landscape of conifer, chestnut, beech, oaks, birch and alder trees and it is not unusual to come across old farms and ancient drying-houses. The numerous natural springs are rich of light and bacteriologically pure water. Also the High Path of the Ligurian Mountains, the very long route that connects Ventimiglia to La Spezia , goes through for a long distance in the territory of Bardineto.

SPORTS IN FREEDOM
The unpolluted environment offers a variety of solutions. Who relies upon their own feet has many choices of paths and routes of different lengths, entirely marked by an accurate cartography, with various difficulties, to make happy both the beginners and the experts. The same thing is valid for mountain bikers, who have a huge selection of tracks to choose from. For many years, in August, a mountain bike competition takes place ( Gara Interregionale di Mountain Bike) with the participation of athletes from many nations. A new public dressing room is available to meet the requirements of people who devote their own free time to excursion activity. New proposals are under consideration for horse riding fans and for sports in general, like a bowling hall, and facilities for soccer, roller-skating, tennis and basket.

THE APPETITE GROWS WITH WHAT IT FEEDS ON
Bardineto's gastronomy encloses all the preciousness of the ligurian-piedmontese cuisine, based on simple food but very well matched. The many produce of the land, firstly the boletus mushroom (fungo porcino) and the chestnut are mixed with wisdom. The vegetables, the wild and cultivated greens, the aromatic herbs, the stuffing, the vegetable soups, the "pasqualina cake", the omelettes, together with the pasta and the white polenta (based on potatoes), without forgetting the game meat, represent in full the cookery tradition of Bardineto.

THE ARTISTIC PATRIMONY
Saint Nicolò church whose age of construction is not well known (perhaps during the 11 th century), was the ancient cemeterial and parochial church. Thanks to the preciousness of its frescos and the pictorial era represented there, in the year 1906 was declared National Monument.
Bardineto remembers its glorious past also with its Historic Centre, designed like a chess- board with its characteristic perpendicular " Carruggi " (very narrow streets) and surrounded by an ancient wall of which is still possible to guess the path. The present " Borgo" (another Italian name for the Historic Centre) is made precious by about 50 ceramic decorative pictures from Albisola, built into the walls of the houses and representing the most famous protagonists of the history of Bardineto: the Epanteri, Saint Peter, the Longobards, the Byzantines , Charlemagne, the Saracens, the marquis Del Carretto and Napoleon. The Castle which overlook the "Borgo" is difficult to give a date of construction and it is different fro all the other in the province of Savona. Firstly for the number of sides, sixteen, which does not have a similar one in the vicinity, and secondly because it not a building where people were living but it only a fortress. Furthermore, right in the centre of the village, there is the " Ethnographic Museum " which gather equipment, tools and furnishings, from ancient times until to-day, perfect example of the life of the people who lived in this valley.

THE SPELEOLOGICAL RESEARCH
In the last years, the speleological research, has reached a great impulse thanks to "Gruppo Speleologico Savonese" (G.S.S.) -Speleological Group of Savona- which, with his discoveries, has opened new light in the prehistory of the valley of Valbormida. The caves and the Karst-formation areas, which came to light are extremely important and interesting. To day, the caves in this area are more than eighty. One in particular the "BURANCO DI BARDINETO" which opens like a cavern at an altitude of 685 meters , has a total length of two kilometres and it is formed by cuniculi and tunnels winding over many levels on an underground creek. Thanks to the G.S.S., two routes on the ground level have been marked which allow to immediately know the main Karst characteristics of the area. To permit the usefulness of these two routes, 16 signals have been erected along the paths, with the description and graphic of each Karst's phenomenon.

VILLAGE FESTIVALS AND FOLKLORE
In the mushroom village, it cannot lack the "National Golden Mushroom Festival" which, since 1944 represents a fundamental appointment for all people who love the tasteful fruit of the underbrush. Each year, during the third week of September, Bardineto becomes the capital of the "kingdom", his Majesty, the "Porcino Mushroom".
Instead, the most famous Bardineto's Feast, is celebrated August 16 th , the patron day of the town, Saint Rocco, protector against the pestilence. Saint Rocco festive proceedings initiate with the procession and the Mystery of the Trinity carried by the local Brotherhood dedicated to the Virgin Mary received into Heaven and to Saint Carlo Borromeo, and by other Brotherhoods of nearby villages. Then, in the evening, the whole village gathers around his "Borgo", in the Soprana's square. Among chants, dances and laughs, peoples taste the specialties of the Feast, like the White Polenta, Sausages, Pasqualina Cake and Sweet Fritters, together with very good wines, surrounded by joy and general cheerfulness.