Olivetta San Michele

Lying amidst olive groves and vineyards near the border with France and the Maritime Alps Nature Park, the municipality of San Michele is formed of two towns: Olivetta, overlooking the Bevera river, and San Michele, on the road to Colle di Tenda.

A feudal estate of the Ventimiglia nobility and the bishop of Grasse, Olivetta was until 1862 the capital of the Penna Valley (the name, referring to its position on a rock spur, was later changed to Piana) from which the castle controlled the traffic along the salt road. The group of towns of which it was the municipal centre (including Piene and Libri) have belonged to France since 1947.

In the church of Sant'Antonio in Olivetta there is a painting representing the Crucifixion attributed to the painter known as "Barbadirame". In the district of Fanghetta, home of a colony of Dutch people, there is a well-preserved mediaeval town centre, the church of the Madonna e dell'Angelo Custode (with some restored thirteenth-century paintings) and the Roman bridge over the Roia; the church of San Mauro in Piena is also well worth visiting.

There are many karst grottoes in the territory and it is also a good place for kayak enthusiasts and mountain biking and trekking along numerous roads leading out of the town: the mule track carved into the rock leading to the ruins of Piena castle, the so-called "Via dei Frantoi" (where you can see a number of old wooden flour and olive-oil mills and presses), the road along the river Roia and excursions to numerous other places in France and Italy.

One other excursion deserves special mention: this is to the CAI refuge on Monte Grammondo (1378 m.), where the annual mountain festival is held: this involves choral singing and a feast of "polenta". But the most interesting festival is the one at Bossaré: this is dedicated to a dish of goat's meat and beans accompanied by fine local Rossese wine.