The name of the town derives from the Latin word "apricus", or "sunny." A small town in the province of Imperia, situated at 13 kilometers from the sea, inland between Bordighera and Ventimiglia, on a steep slope from where it is possible to enjoy the panorama of the territory of Liguria, with its terraces, olive groves, chestnut and pine trees. In the oldest part of the town, situated at the top, the castle and the Parish church find their location. The houses built of stone, arranged in concentric circles, seem to almost unnaturally climb uphill, defying gravity. From the main square, along the sides of the hill, branch off two districts. There are so many steep staircases and the height differences that break the paths, make them extremely challenging. The alleyways with arches that interconnect between buildings that face each other, form covered walkways, like tunnels, in an impenetrable maze. The scenic views are so many beautiful that it is really pleasing to take advantage of. For this reason, although the Liguria is rich with ancient and picturesque villages, with its medieval atmosphere, Apricale has been celebrated in the verses of poets and writers and chosen by famous painters as a subject for their paintings. In fact it is a village much loved and frequented by artists.
Antiquities, found in Pian del Re, allow to consider the territory inhabited since the Bronze Age. The village was founded around the X century by the Counts of Ventimiglia, to pass under the dominion of the Doria, former lords of Dolceacqua, in the XIII century. One of the first statutes of Liguria, dating back to 1267, belonged to the free municipality of Apricale. In the XVI century, the Grimaldi family of Monaco nearly destroyed the castle built by the Doria. Like many countries in Liguria it was conquered by the French of Napoleon Bonaparte, became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1815 and subsequently was submitted to the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

Not to miss:
The Parish Church of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, built in the XII century, overlooks the main square of Apricale. It has been frequently refurbished: in 1760 it received a Baroque style, in 1935 the façade was renovated with neo-Romanesque style.
The Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, situated in the lower part of the town, preserves inside frescoes of 1400.
The Church of St. Anthony of the XIII century, built on the ruins of a temple of the Romanesque period.
The Oratory of St. Bartholomew with a wooden altarpiece of the first half of 1500.
The remains of the Church of San Pietro in Ento dating back perhaps to the XI or XII century.
The castle of the Lizard, built by the Counts of Ventimiglia in the X century, is now owned by the Town Hall.
The many chapels: of Moudena, of San Rocco, of San Martino with traces of frescoes, of St. Vincent Ferrer dating from the XVI century.