Credit: Liguria.info
Mention the Italian Riviera and most travellers picture the Mediterranean: colourful coastal towns, palm lined promenades, beaches and small harbours.
Less than an hour inland, Liguria tells a very different story.
High above the coast, surrounded by forests and mountains, Triora is a medieval village of stone houses and narrow passageways that has become known throughout Italy as the “village of witches”.
This reputation is not simply a modern Halloween invention. It originates in a series of witch trials that began here in 1587 and left such a mark on the village that, more than four centuries later, they remain part of Triora’s cultural identity.
That makes Halloween here rather different from Halloween almost anywhere else in Italy.
From the Mediterranean to the mountains
Triora sits at around 780 metres above sea level in the upper Argentina Valley, in the Province of Imperia in western Liguria.
The journey itself is part of the experience. Leaving the coast near Arma di Taggia, the road follows the valley northwards as Mediterranean vegetation gradually gives way to wooded slopes and mountain scenery.
Triora appears above the valley as a compact medieval settlement of stone buildings, arches, covered alleys and small squares.
It is an excellent reminder of something international visitors sometimes overlook: the Italian Riviera is not just a narrow strip of coastline. Behind Sanremo and the seaside towns lies an extensive hinterland of valleys and historic villages with their own architecture, food and traditions.
Triora is one of its most distinctive examples.
The real story behind the “village of witches”
Credit: Imperia tv
The story begins in 1587, during a severe famine.
In a society where religious belief, superstition and fear of supernatural forces were closely intertwined, suspicion began to fall on local women who were accused of causing crop failures and other misfortunes through witchcraft.
Around twenty people were imprisoned as investigations began. Interrogations involved torture and at least two women died during the proceedings.
One was Isotta Stella, whose death following torture is documented in the historical records.
The severity of the investigation eventually became controversial even at the time. In January 1588, Triora’s local authorities wrote to the government of the Republic of Genoa to complain about the methods being used and to question accusations extracted under torture.
Another name to survive in the records is Franchetta Borelli, who continued to deny being a witch despite being subjected to severe interrogation.
The surviving documents are important because they separate the historical Triora witch trials from the legends that developed around them. Records of arrests, accusations and torture exist. Stories of witches gathering secretly at night belong largely to local folklore.
The original trial documents are preserved in the State Archives of Genoa, while copies and historical material can be seen in Triora.
The Cabotina: history or legend?
Credit: Trioradascoprire
Located just outside the historic centre, this small stone structure has traditionally been described as a meeting place for local witches.
There is no documentary evidence that such gatherings actually took place there.
No visit to Triora’s witch story is complete without the Cabotina.
That distinction is part of what makes Triora interesting. The village does not offer a single neat story. Historical evidence and centuries of folklore coexist, sometimes becoming difficult to separate.
Today the Cabotina is both a symbol of that tradition and a panoramic point overlooking the Argentina Valley.
Understanding Triora beyond the legends
The best place to put the witch trials into context is the Museum of Triora, dedicated to local history, rural culture, ethnography and witchcraft.
Rather than treating the events purely as a horror story, the museum helps visitors understand the society in which the accusations took place.
The everyday life of a sixteenth century mountain community, its beliefs and fears provide a far more interesting background to the trials than the familiar modern image of witches with broomsticks and pointed hats.
Over time, however, Triora has also embraced the identity that history gave it.
References to witches can now be found throughout the village, from local crafts to cultural events. Rather than disappearing into an archive, the events of the sixteenth century have become one of the ways in which this remote Ligurian community tells its story to contemporary visitors.
Halloween in Triora 2026
Credit: Viaggiare da soli
It is therefore easy to understand why Halloween in Triora feels unusually appropriate.
For 2026, the Municipality of Triora has announced a three day programme running from Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November, with the main celebrations taking place on Halloween itself.
The historic centre becomes the setting for performances, music and events connected with folklore and horror culture.
Some parts of the programme draw directly on Triora’s identity. There are talks exploring witchcraft and folklore, events at the Civic Museum and activities throughout the medieval centre.
After dark, the mood becomes more theatrical, with Krampus figures moving through the village, performances at the Castle, fire shows, video mapping and vertical dance.
Celebrations continue on Sunday with a programme that also includes activities for families.
Yet the most interesting part of Halloween in Triora may be the setting itself.
Between events, visitors can disappear into covered medieval passageways, walk to the Cabotina, visit the museum or simply look across the darkening mountains of the Argentina Valley.
Unlike many Halloween events created around an artificial theme, Triora already has the history, architecture and landscape.
A different Italian Riviera
Triora is worth discovering even if Halloween is not the reason for your visit.
It shows just how dramatically Liguria can change within a relatively short distance.
On the coast are Sanremo, Bordighera, Ospedaletti and the Mediterranean. Inland are chestnut woods, mountain roads and villages where stone houses have stood for centuries.
For international visitors familiar with the Côte d’Azur or the Italian Riviera, this proximity can be surprising. The coastline and the Alps are not separate destinations here. They belong to the same geography.
It also explains why some people who discover western Liguria eventually begin looking beyond the seaside when considering a home in Italy.
Living in a medieval Ligurian village
A different way to experience Liguria
Triora reveals a side of Liguria that feels very different from the coast: stone houses, mountain landscapes, forests and the slower rhythm of a historic village.
For those who visit and find themselves wondering what it might be like to spend more time here, LiguriaHomes Casamare & Hamptons currently has a property for sale in the historic centre of Triora.
