Stellanello

Stellanello sits in the upper Merula Valley in Liguria, Italy, where the slopes of Pizzo d’Evigno rise inland from the Riviera coast. This small municipality belongs to the hilly hinterland behind Andora, a transition zone between the Ligurian Sea and the Ligurian Alps. Terraced olive groves shape both the local landscape and economy, and the Taggiasca olive is closely associated with farming in western Liguria. Settlement is spread among small hamlets rather than concentrated in one urban centre, with roads following the folds of the valley. Pizzo d’Evigno, at about 1,000 metres, is a prominent upland landmark in the area.