Bussana Vecchia

Bussana Vecchia was largely destroyed by the earthquake of 23 February 1887 and later resettled by an international community of artists beginning in the early 1960s.

Why it matters

The village preserves both the effects of the 1887 earthquake and the later effort to rebuild life among the ruins. After residents moved to Bussana Nuova, the hillside settlement remained largely abandoned for decades. Artists who arrived from the early 1960s adapted surviving structures and brought new uses to the medieval layout.

What to notice

The bell tower of Sant'Egidio survived when much of the church collapsed. Rebuilt houses stand among older stonework, and mosaics and found-object sculptures reflect the creative community that settled here. The layers of earthquake damage, neglect and later repair remain visible in the village fabric.

Context and history

The settlement is associated with the Counts of Ventimiglia and a castle built around 1050; Genoa acquired the commune in 1259, and Sant'Egidio was consecrated in 1404. The earthquake of 1887 destroyed much of the village. Residents lived in temporary shelters before the municipality ordered the old settlement abandoned in 1894 and established Bussana Nuova near the coast. Artists began returning in the early 1960s, adapting ruins as homes and studios. The community's legal and administrative status has been contested over time.