The Main Village of the Val Prino
The village of Dolcedo (Dôçeo in Ligurian dialect, U Dusseu in local variant) is located in the Prino Valley, in Liguria. The origins of the village are to be tracked along with the communities that have historically always been part of the territory of San Maurizio, one of the hamlets that, together with Oneglia, have given life to the town of Imperia. These settlements, arisen in the middle ages, and are located in a strip of territory higher compared with the current central nucleus inhabited.
As a result of the strategic location, halfway of the Roman road which from Colle San Maurizio passed from the hill of Poggiobonfiglio, she trod the val Prino and continued to Santa Brigida, in the locality of Castellazzo rose a castle, that in 1028 was in the possession of the marquis Oldorico Manfredi. In 1161 it became part of the Communitas of Porto Maurizio with the name of the Terziere di San Tommaso, by associating with the Terziere of San Giorgio of Torrazza and with that of San Maurizio. As a result of a convention concluded between Bonifacio di Clavesana and consuls Genoese in 1192, Dolcedo became places of refuge for important families of that time. In 1238 when Porto Maurizio rebelled in Genoa, Dolcedo is proclaimed an autonomous municipality, but the revolt was repressed by the Genoese. The castle was destroyed in 1342. In 1613 the village became progressively the economic center of Val Prino. During the Napoleonic occupation Dolcedo obtained in 1810 the title of city.
