Pian dei Corsi

The Napoleonic-era earthworks and trenches at Pian dei Corsi are a quiet reminder that the Ligurian hinterland was a significant theatre of war in the 1790s. The defensive works are in modest condition — largely grassed-over ridges and ditches in the hillside above the village — but they are among the more tangible military history sites in this part of Liguria.

The site is accessible on foot from the village. The surrounding hillside has good views over the Finale valley and down toward the coast. For anyone interested in the Napoleonic campaigns in Italy, this forms part of a broader circuit of sites in the Savona hinterland.

things to do sight
A story
The earthworks at Pian dei Corsi were constructed during Napoleon's Italian campaign in 1794-1796, when French forces fought the Austro-Piedmontese coalition through the Ligurian Apennines. The Battle of Montenotte in April 1796, fought in the hills near here, was one of Napoleon's first significant victories as commander of the Army of Italy and marked the beginning of his rapid rise to European dominance.