Province of Imperia

The Province of Imperia is a mountainous and hilly province, in the Liguria region of Italy, situated between France to the north and the west, and the Ligurian Sea, an arm of the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Its capital is the city of Imperia.

To the east lies the Italian province of Savona while its western edge forms part of Italy's frontier with France and it shares its northern border with the Piedmontese province of Cuneo. The mountain chain to the north of the province has several peaks above 1,600 metres , with some peaks on the French border above 2,000 metres such as Monte Saccarello at 2,200 metres . Ranges of hills run down to the coast in a generally north-south direction, in effect making the province of Imperia a succession of hills and valleys ending at the coast in rocky headlands and small pebbly bays. Each valley tends to have its own seasonal river or torrential stream and only one valley can lay claim to a year-round river - the River Roia whose upper stretches are within France. This coast is in an earthquake zone and the deserted ruins of Baiardo and Bussana Vecchia are reminders of the 1887 earthquake. Bussana has become the haunt of hippies and artists.

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