Bajardo

Bajardo is a village with about 350 inhabitants; it lies within the province of Imperia, in Italy’s region of Liguria. The village is located in the Ligurian Maritime Alps at 900 m over sea level, and spreads over 24,000 hectares, most of which are covered by olive groves. The remaining area is fallow ground, on a part of which flowers are now grown, and then there are vineyards, chestnut trees and woods. A vast pine‐wood in the Armea valley is recognised by the EU as a biotope. The historical village core was founded in the first millennium b.C. and has maintained up to the present day its typical Ligurian country architecture. The olive oil produced here has always been renowned for its extraordinary quality and fine taste. However, many parts of these olive groves are no longer cultivated. Because of its particular micro‐climate Bajardo is the place with the highest olive groves in Europe. The area suffers from strong depopulation, which continued over the last few years, though a big effort was made to counter it. The village is located in the sunniest position in Liguria, and has optimal climatic characteristics, since two different climatic zones meet here, the typical Mediterranean climate and the Alpine climate, that create a particular micro‐climate.