Bajardo

Bajardo
Comune
Comune di Bajardo
Bajardo under the January snow.
Coat of arms
Bajardo Location of Bajardo in Italy
Coordinates: 43°54′N 7°43′E / 43.900°N 7.717°E / 43.900; 7.717Coordinates: 43°54′N 7°43′E / 43.900°N 7.717°E / 43.900; 7.717
Country	Italy
Region	Liguria
Province / Metropolitan city	Imperia (IM)
Frazioni	Berzi, Vignai
Government
• Mayor	To be appointed (Prefectural commissioner)
Area
• Total	24.54 km2 (9.47 sq mi)
Elevation	900 m (3,000 ft)
Population (31 December 2007)
• Total	306
• Density	12/km2 (32/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Baiardesi or Bajocchi
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	18031
Dialing code	0184
Patron saint	Saint Nicholas of Bari

Bajardo (also Baiardo) is a comune in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria. At the start of 2008 it had 306 inhabitants: less than a fifth of those counted in 1911. It is about 110 kilometres (68 mi) southwest of Genoa and about 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Imperia.

Its principal settlement, Bajardo itself, is a medieval village which stands at an elevation of 900 metres (3,000 ft) on a peak at the head of the basin of the Nervia torrent.

First ruled by the Counts of Ventimiglia, it passed to the Marquis of Ceva before coming under Genoese control in 1259. It remained with Genoa until 1815 when it became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. The parish church of San Nicolò da Bari in Piazza Parrocchiale was built in 1893 to replace the church destroyed by the earthquake of 1887.

Every year, various festivals are held in Bajardo. One occurs in June in remembrance of an event from hundreds of years ago. One of the ruling lords was engaged to a woman. However, this woman was much younger and had a secret lover. One day, the secret lover and the woman attempted to escape into the woods. However, the rich lord sent for them. When found, she was decapitated. What happened to the secret lover is unknown. In remembrance, Bajardo holds a tree-cutting festival at the beginning of every June. The townspeople set up the tree in the central square, have various festivities throughout the day, and two weeks later chop down the tree.