english

you are here: Home Liguria Genoa and Tigullio Uscio

Stay

Visit a locality browsing the menu on the left. In each Italy area you can then choose the best touristical structures we are proposing.

More About

Here you can find info and tips about the area you are visiting.

Print this page Send to a friend by e-mail

Uscio

Description

Town in the province of Genoa, composed of the villages Calcinara and Terrile. It is located in the valley of the river Recco, between the coast and the hill Caprile, in an enviable and sunny location in the hinterland, just 15 minutes from the sea. The mild climate makes it a pleasant place throughout the year. Particularly enjoyable are the excursions on Mount Tuggio, at an hour's walk from Uscio, where it is possible to admire the coast of Corsica, walking down the valley towards Spinarola, to reach Mount Bello and the Sanctuary of Caravaggio. Or in alternative, it is possible to follow the same route of Columbus: from Terrarossa in Genoa.

Devoted to agriculture and tourism, the town is famous throughout the World for its craftsmen and their construction of watch towers and steeples. The activity began in the XVIII century with Giuseppe Terrile, a simple man with a great artistic capacity, who became a teacher over the years to other local craftsmen. Today in Uscio this has become a tradition and an important economic source. It is the seat of the tower clocks Museum of "Trebino," a well known family that produces watches for even the Vatican City. Also famous is the Colonia Arnaldi with ten acres of gardens that hosts a large number of botanical species, as well as rare and valuable exotic plants. It is famous for its cures and therapies based on herbs.
Some archaeological finds unearthed evidence that the area has been inhabited since the Neolithic period, although it suffered the lack of water supplies and natural shelters. In 121 B.C. Uscio was conquered by the Romans. Under the influence of the Bishops of Milan, four important churches were built in the area, including the one entitled to Sant'Ambrogio. In the XII century it was incorporated into the territory of the Republic of Genoa and under the rule of the Fieschi, the local Lords advanced claims on part of the val Fontanabuona. As evidence of the presence of the Fieschi di Lavagna remain the ruins of a stronghold near Mount Tuggio, built to defend the passage towards Spinarola. Then the town suffered the same fate of the Republic of Genoa until the insertion into the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

Not to miss:

The Romanesque Church of Sant'Ambrogio, which was built by the bishop of Milan in the XI century.
The Parish, also dedicated to the Sant'Ambrogio, adjacent to the church, whose construction began in the late XIX century and ended in the early years of the XX. It presents a very rich façade that in a sharp way contrasts with the simplicity of the nearby Romanesque church.
The Parish Church of San Rocco and the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Terrile, which in 1400 was only a chapel, then refurbished and enlarged. Inside it preserves the main altar that dates back to 1755 and there is a painting of the Madonna della Salute (1832), the San Sebastian by Luca Cambiaso and a wooden sculpture depicting Saint Rocco (XVII century).
The parish of Our Lady of Caravaggio, originally a private chapel, was enlarged several times, the bell tower dates back to 1854.
The Museum of tower clocks, which exhibits a bell of 1290 and numerous handcraft pieces created from the XVI century onwards.

Map

This town web page has been visited 17,667 times.

Choose language

italiano

english