Pigna's medieval centre clusters on the upper slope of a rocky spur, its stone houses stacked so tightly that the upper floors of one building become the foundations of the next. The village layout is typical of the defensive hilltop settlements of the Ligurian inland: a single main lane winds through the centre, with arches overhead and covered passages connecting the buildings. Half the village is crumbling; half is still inhabited and cared for.
The church of San Michele Arcangelo near the top of the village has a fine interior and a small square with good views over the surrounding hills toward the French border. The village is best explored without a plan: take any lane that heads uphill and you will eventually reach the highest point, where the panorama extends from the mountains above to the coast below on a clear day.