Torriglia () is a ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' (municipality) in the

Metropolitan City of Genoa The Metropolitan City of Genoa () is a metropolitan city in the region of Liguria in northern Italy. Its capital is the city of Genoa. It replaced the province of Genoa in 2015. It has 67 municipalities (''comuni) in'' an area of and a total p ...

in the Italian region

Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...

, located in the upper

Trebbia The Trebbia (stressed ''Trèbbia''; ) is a river predominantly of Liguria and Emilia Romagna in northern Italy. It is one of the four main right-bank tributaries of the river Po, the other three being the Tanaro, the Secchia and the Panaro. ...

valley, about northeast of

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

. Torriglia borders the following municipalities: Davagna,

Lorsica Lorsica () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa in the Italy, Italian region Liguria, located about east of Genoa. Lorsica borders the following municipalities: Cicagna, Favale di Malvaro, Mocònesi, Montebruno, Neiro ...

, Lumarzo, Mocònesi,

Montebruno Montebruno () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about northeast of Genoa. Montebruno borders the following municipalities: Fascia, Fontanigorda, Lorsica, Mocònesi, Rezzoagli ...

Montoggio Montoggio () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about northeast of Genoa. As of October 2006, it had a population of 2,018 and an area of .All demographics and other statistics ...

, Neirone,

Propata Propata () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about northeast of Genoa. The parish church of St. Lawrence houses a wooden statue by Anton Maria Maragliano Anton Maria Maragli ...

Rondanina Rondanina () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about northeast of Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-la ...

, Valbrevenna.

History

The town was probably founded in

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

times. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

it was a possession of the

Bobbio Abbey Bobbio Abbey (Italian: ''Abbazia di San Colombano'') is a monastery founded by Irish Saint Columbanus in 614, around which later grew up the town of Bobbio, in the province of Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It is dedicated to Saint Columbanus. ...

, and then (1227) of the Malaspina and (mid-14th century) of the

Fieschi The House of Fieschi were an old Italian noble family from Genoa, Italy, from whom descend the Fieschi Ravaschieri Princes of Belmonte. Of ancient origin, they took their name from the progenitor ''Ugo Fliscus'', descendants of the counts of Lav ...

, who built a castle here. Later it was under the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( ; ; ) was a medieval and early modern Maritime republics, maritime republic from the years 1099 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italy, Italian coast. During the Late Middle Ages, it was a major commercial power in ...

, and Torriglia was involved in the wars between

Guelphs and Ghibellines The Guelphs and Ghibellines ( , ; ) were Political faction, factions supporting the Pope (Guelphs) and the Holy Roman Emperor (Ghibellines) in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages. During the 12th ...

, causing its siege by the Genoese in 1432. In 1548 it was acquired by the Doria family, who held it until the Napoleonic invasion of 1797. In 1815 Torriglia became part of the

Kingdom of Sardinia The Kingdom of Sardinia, also referred to as the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica among other names, was a State (polity), country in Southern Europe from the late 13th until the mid-19th century, and from 1297 to 1768 for the Corsican part of ...

and, from 1861, of the unified

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

. During World War II it was the seat of partisan resistance.

Main sights

*The Castle *Church of ''Sant'Onorato di Arles''. *Oratory of St. Vincent.

People

* Pier Fortunato Zanfretta (1952), alien contactee

Economy

Economy is mostly based on agriculture and cattle raising.

Transport

Torriglia lies on the State Road 45 of Val Trebbia, connecting Genoa to

Piacenza Piacenza (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Piacenza, eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with more ...

. A7 and A12 Highways can be reached from

Busalla Busalla is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about north of Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the upper valley of the Scrivia river. Nearby is the artificial Lake Busalletta. ...

, which is also the seat of the nearest railway station.

Other

Torriglia is popularly known as the

UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO) is an object or phenomenon seen in the sky but not yet identified or explained. The term was coined when United States Air Force (USAF) investigations into flying saucers found too broad a range of shapes ...

capital of Italy, due to the numerous "contacts" that occurred in its territory during the 1970s, which had as protagonist Pier Fortunato Zanfretta. Torriglia is known for the Canestrelletto, a small short-pastry cookie. It has the shape of a six pointed star, with a hole in the middle and a dusting of icing sugar, it even has a Festival in its honour, "Festa del Canestrelletto", held every year from 1998 in which all Producers of
Il Canestrelletto di Torriglia
® take part

References

External links

Official website
* :it:Torriglia use google translator {{authority control Cities and towns in Liguria Castles in Italy