Canate di Marsiglia, Liguria, Italy

The medieval village of Canate is located north east of Genoa, at an altitude of 550 meters over the sea level approximately, on the southern side of mount Lago. The village can only be reached by foot and this is the reason of its total abandonment happened between 1957 and 1958, when the last 27 families left definitively the village. At the end of the Second World War the inhabitants were about 150 and approximately thirty families. In 1951 the residents were less than 100.

It’s roots bring us back to the twelfth century, even though the village has been expanded and improved during the centuries, eventually having available a system for rainwater reuse and even electricity, brought during ’30s.
The village counts about fifty buildings, including thirty-five in good conditions, having their coverage still intact. The rest consists of ruins of small buildings and it is difficult to understand their original intended use.
The country surrounding the village was terraced for the cultivation of vines, vegetables and anything else necessary to the subsistence of its inhabitants.
Differently from many other rural or mountain villages, typical examples of very nice but poor constructions, the houses in Canate have been built with high quality materials and techniques and sometimes even beautified by decorations.

Canate can be reached covering the ancient muletrack from San Martino di Struppa. Following this path it takes approximately 2 hours to reach the village. Another root, starting from Marsiglia of Davagna, takes approximately an hour and a half.