Bormida: Church Art, History and Nature

Explore Bormida through a range of interests: religious art, local history, woodland landscapes and leisure activities. To help plan your trip, here you’ll find specific buildings, collections and activities offering a variety of options—from visiting historic sites to sports and fishing.

Church and Religious Art

The parish church of San Giorgio dates back to 1481. Its Baroque bell tower stands on a 15th-century foundation. The church houses valuable paintings and wooden statues of the Madonna, Mary Magdalene and Saint George, who is depicted fighting the dragon. The statue of Mary Magdalene is attributed to the sculptor Anton Maria Maragliano. The church’s history and works of art offer several points of interest if you’re interested in its furnishings and history.

The Museo dei Paramenti Sacri is housed in rooms within the parish church. It displays dalmatics, chasubles, copes and stoles of fine, rare and antique craftsmanship. The Sala Maggiore also features a silk-painted banner depicting Saint George and the dragon. It dates from the early 19th century or, more likely, the late 18th century, belonged to a confraternity from Voltaggio and depicts Bormida’s patron saint. This means the theme of religious art encompasses not only paintings and statues, but also liturgical textiles and a banner with its own historical background.

History and Present-Day Uses

The former Oratory of the Confraternity of Mary Magdalene dates back to the 17th century. Today, the building houses the parish theatre and serves as the headquarters of Bormida’s Pro Loco. Palazzo “La Ferriera” points to another aspect of local history: it owes its name to ironworking, the town’s main activity between the 17th and 19th centuries. Here, a historic building with a present-day use stands alongside a name connected to the town’s former work.

The Cappella della Madonna del Carmine also has a specific historical connection: in 1666, beneath its old entrance portico, it hosted Princess Margherita Teresa D’Asburgo, daughter of King Philip IV of Spain, as she travelled to marry the Austrian Emperor Leopold I. The chapel’s exterior structures and interior furnishings have recently been restored. The statue of the Madonnina del Carmine can be reached via a marked path and offers a beautiful view of Piano Sottano.

Woodlands and Landscape

Forests cover 96 percent of Bormida’s municipal area. The municipality also includes the springs of the Bormida di Pallare, a major tributary of the Bormida River. The Melogno Provincial Protected Area stretches from Monte Bedò to Monte Settepani. It features tall beech forests, chestnut groves, hazel thickets and mixed woodlands, as well as birches, Scots pines and silver firs. The municipality’s forested areas and the diverse woodland in the protected area therefore offer distinct nature-related points of interest.

Sports and Leisure

The municipal sferisterio was built in 1986. It hosts championships in various categories, including Serie B, as well as several summer tournaments. If a particular event is important to your travel plans, check the dates for your desired travel period.

The Laghetto di Romana offers sport fishing for both professional and recreational anglers. The site includes an equipped picnic area and a new bar with a veranda overlooking the lake. There are different leisure options to choose from: championships and summer tournaments at the sferisterio, or sport fishing, a picnic area and a lakeside bar at the Laghetto.

Discover more destinations: Spinetta, Pianazzo, Carcare, Albissola Marina, Stella, Capitolo-costa, Garlenda, Cairo Montenotte.

For the broader travel overview: Savona.